Absolution
by Lillie Bell
Summary: Her sin bound them together for all eternity, from one life to the next. Her sacrifice would set them free. 1st season AU, UsaMamo.
1. Prologue

Here's my newest story that I've spent the last year writing (seriously!) It's gone through many stages but now is approaching its final form. This is the prologue, a little teaser/taste of what is to come. The first chapter will be posted tonight/tomorrow and then weekly after that. Reviews are greatly appreciated as I've never written anything quite like this before P

Undeniably, I must thank Elianthos and Amethyst-Heart for their wonderful replies as I posted the raw versions on my LJ. And of course, my best friend and beta-reader/grammar nazi/content slasher... who has yet to decide on a penname for So, until she does (watch out, it'll probably be "baby eater" XD) she'll just remain anonymous._  
_

One last note: at the end of this story there will be a bloopers chapter. For those who read what was posted in LJ, a _lot_ has changed. Therefore, if there were scenes I particularly enjoyed but were deleted and/or my beta's commentary was hilarious (there are a few where she just ripped it up in a funny way) then that's where they go. It's kind of like the extras on a DVD. Deleted scenes and Bloopers. Anyway, on with the story.

- Lillie Bell

* * *

_Absolution:  
Prologue_

Queen Serenity stood calmly amidst the carnage about her. The fallen bodies of the senshi lay before her. Her black eyes danced with mirth as she thrust her pale hand forward, sending a second wave of black ribbons racing toward the trembling form of Tsukino Usagi. It was the only signal the youma at her side needed.

The blonde, however, was transfixed on the broken sword still gripped in Venus' hand. Her blood coated the hilt red, giving the leather a pungent odor. The other senshi laid lifeless around her, a halo of guardians no longer a part of her world. She had watched as each had fallen. Mercury had collapsed first. Her body in this life was frail, known as the timid genius Mizuno Ami. However, her awakening had changed her personality completely—introvert had become extrovert, the memories and power of the past infusing her with uncharacteristic confidence. In a single day, she became known as the ice queen, prepared to fix anyone with a chilling glare were they to enter into Usagi's vicinity. Nothing was left of that fierce stare, save the glazed ice-blue eyes staring into the fathomless night sky.

Mars fell next. Though years of meditation lent her a greater mental strength, her body couldn't hold together under the onslaught of power. The easily angered priestess of the shrine, with her exotic features and perfumed skin, fell to the ground. What beauty was left after she was filled with the vengeance of a past life the multitude of lacerations had destroyed. She gripped onto her preordained life, leaving behind her aging grandfather who needed her, and training for the moment when she could enact her revenge. The fierce warrior who was ruled by the need to reclaim the honor she had lost a thousand years ago was gone. The sight sickened the younger teen. _There was nothing honorable about being dead._

Jupiter's tall frame lifted the dirt around her as she fell. A great rumble traced through the sky as the power of the thunder senshi returned to the heavens. Usagi could still remember that first meeting with Kino Makoto, the spark that jumped between them when the tall teen sat beside her after transferring schools. Even tough Makoto changed dramatically upon her awakening. One day she was talking about flower arranging and baking goodies, and the next she was giving the same frowns to anyone willing to come near Usagi. So quickly Mako-chan had given up her dreams to right a past injustice. No manner of cookies could sweeten the sadness that blossomed from the deaths of Usagi's greatest friends.

The newest edition, having spent nearly three weeks in Tokyo before she was completely winked out of existence, held the complete sword as her fellow senshi fell from her side. When the last of Venus' energy was spent and she had channeled her soul into the sword, as the others had, she thrust it deep into the heart of Queen Serenity. Upon impact with the malicious queen, however, the blade ruptured. Tiny flecks of stone flew everywhere, littering the ground with the last vestiges of hope. A simple swipe of that cruel hand and the lead senshi was sent flying through the air. Aino Minako's body was torn into pieces mirroring the damage done to the sword of legend. The body that had been idolized in Europe, attention that Usagi knew her friend adored tremendously, lay irreparable on the cold Japanese soil. There was nothing left to love about the broken bodies strewn across the ground. There was nothing left to love in avenging past transgressions. There was nothing left to love by giving up on their dreams.

_The present was given so that we could live._ A single tear fell from Usagi's quivering eyelashes before a streak of black ribbon whipped across her cheek and shoulder, down to her hip and across her thigh. Her body flew through the air in a cruel mimicry of her friends not moments before. Youma rushed her as she rolled across the course ground. Pebbles and sticks pierced her unblemished skin before her momentum stopped and the pain caught up to her. A welt nearly five centimeters thick licked from her thigh to her face. Her cheek puffed with blood, threatening to shut her left eye as the skin swelled. She could not move, the intense pain making her forget the world around her.

"Usagi!" Luna screamed over the roar of the youma trying to get to the prone princess. "Sailor Moon!" The cat nudged at the knotted blonde hair upon the ground. Her blue eyes quickly moved to check on her mentor, but Artemis seemed to keep the youma at bay. Any other time and the feline would have taken the opportunity to watch the cat's human form in action, but this was not the moment. Her furry paws continued to press into the teen's uninjured temple, hoping to drive Usagi from her daze. Unlike her elder, the Mauian had not quite mastered her shape-shifting skills. Just as a youma had breached Artemis' defense, wounding the white-haired man and leaving him as prey to the others following behind it, a bright white light erupted from the fallen princess.

Tsukino Usagi, the last princess of the Moon Kingdom that had died nearly one thousand years ago, stood to fight against the evil threatening her world. The only difference between her and the fallen senshi was she had not given up on the life she had now. She was fighting for her dreams, not without them, and because she needed to live to fulfill them she would succeed against the greatest evil in the world.

When the light cleared, showing the shining ivory gown of Princess Serenity holding the Moon Wand with the faceted ginzuishou at its apex, it was the eyes of a 14-year old girl from Juuban who stared at the calm visage of Queen Serenity.

"Changing clothes will not help you," the queen smiled sweetly, the evil within animating those gentle gestures.

"There are people—beings—that are beyond forgiveness in this world," the crystal flashed as her soul grew in strength. "There is no punishment for your transgressions but death."

_This was her moment to show them that she could protect them. Even if it didn't matter; even though they were dead. Maybe she didn't know how to use the ginzuishou but she would show them that this life, with its hopes and dreams, was worth protecting._


	2. Mizuno Ami

Here's the first real chapter. Most will follow this same structure and length. One of my reviewers (y'all were so quick!) hit the nail on the head calling this 'fic deep. It is definitely of that caliber. Also, this fic expects the reader to be somewhat familiar with the manga and anime. There are also a few japanese terms here that I probably won't take the time to translate ("fuku", "henshin", "youma", etc...) but nothing that I wouldn't expect the reader to know. If it becomes a big deal, I'll add a glossary, but I don't foresee needing one.

Anyone familiar with the PGSM series might appreciate some of the changes here. As I was watching the live-action for the first time after the bulk of this story had been written, I can't claim that my ideas came from it. But I was deliciously surprised to find a lot of the same elements. Just so y'all can speculate what the later chapters might be about! P

- Lillie Bell  
(next update: 28 July 07)

* * *

_Absolution:  
Mizuno Ami_

The blue-haired girl gazed across the Juuban campus before heading into the school. She kept her head ducked low, trying to blend in with the sidewalk more than the rustling student body around her. Having recently transferred, she tried to stay inconspicuous as she made her way down the hall. She knew this school, as the others, would soon be brimming with the news of the transfer student and her credentials. Unfortunately, these tended to bring unwanted attention to the shy girl.

The common misconceptions, the kind ones, were of her spending all of her time studying, rarely sleeping. The cruel ones said she cheated and was really a fake. While Ami did spend more than the healthy amount of time studying, it was more out of habit than anything else. She had never had any friends and boredom made her anxious, thus her childhood was spent with the books on her mother's shelves. A passion for learning had sparked in the child and she pursued it with vigor, having nothing else to fill the void of the day before bedtime.

And while the older Ami who stepped lightly through the halls of Juuban continued to enjoy the complexities of math and science, the fervor was no longer there. Somewhere in the last year it had dissipated into nothingness. Now she sat with bated breath, feeling as though suddenly there was more to life than what the books could teach her. Like there was something to experience in this world not explained by theorems and correlations. Immersed in the pages of quantum physics, she realized that the universe, while a mass of calculations, was more than numbers on the page and that some fundamental part of _life_ was missing. Numbers were so unanimated, so objective; they could describe so much but never with excitement or sadness or true feeling. Certainly the universe was more alive than a complex calculation could portray. There was something else to life than what her studies had shown her, Ami was sure of it. Therefore, in true scholarly fashion, she set out on a pilgrimage to discover just what in life she had been missing, and she had a feeling it was in the exact area she lacked any skill: socializing.

The first step was to change schools. Her previous school already had its cliques and predefined groups. There was nothing to gain from trying to befriend those who already did not like her. So, in pursuit of knowledge and a way to fill this sudden void that had cracked open with her epiphany, the shy teen set out for Juuban. As she roamed the halls, she was certain of her choice. Something was waiting for her here, she knew. Her journey had ended; the answer was within her reach.

Two weeks passed and nothing spectacular happened. She took her notes and read the lectures and books to pass the time before she could fall into bed and sleep until the morning. She was getting used to the classrooms and where everyone ate at lunch, who was popular and who was not. She had met a few people as well, though they had quickly turned out to either want her help studying or to know where to find copies of the tests. It seemed transferring did nothing to improve her mission. Perhaps she truly was destined for a cloistered life, being incapable of breaking free of the mold she had lived in for fourteen years.

Blowing her hair out of her eyes, Ami made her way down the hall, convinced that she only existed in the world to study. This wasn't a life, she knew, but it was what people expected of her. She wanted to be more than a number at the top of a chart. She had already decided the universe could not be described as a number; she did not believe her life could either. Mizuno Ami was a person, too; she wanted a future and friends—to smile with people, not at the many books that kept her company at night—just like any other girl.

And as Ami walked down the hall, head bowed under the weight of trying to be what was expected of her but wanting to break free of such an ignorant construct, she felt an impact from the side. Without realizing it, she started tipping and falling to the floor. Her disinterested blue eyes watched as the cold tiles came closer and closer, her body cascading with little enthusiasm. For a moment she entertained the idea of letting her body hit the floor at its current speed. Aside from velocity formulae, she nearly smirked at feeling the pain that would press upon her body. After all, she could not calculate a bruise, only the likelihood of one.

Her body, seeming to realize her hesitation, automatically splayed out her hands in front of her as if to scold her masochistic thoughts. However, before she could ponder this new variable, a hand was in her vision. Following that hand up its arm and across the familiar school uniform gave her the face of a blonde-headed girl. The girl laughed slightly at Ami's bewildered gaze.

"I'm really sorry," she replied lamely, her other hand pressed against the nape of her neck. When Ami remained on the floor, looking completely awestruck, she asked: "You didn't think I was going to knock you down and just leave you, did you?"

Ami pressed a hand to her cheeks as they turned red. That was her exact thought. Most people didn't even give her a glance any more, either too competitive in their studies or too stuck up to think her important enough to warrant one. The blonde chuckled awkwardly at the silent girl. "Well, I've got to get going; my mother will be expecting me home soon."

Ami nodded and pulled herself off the floor. She reached for her bag as the blonde turned away from her. The girl smiled over her shoulder, sending a cheerful blue-eyed wink. "I'm Usagi, maybe we can eat lunch together?"

Ami simply nodded, her mouth open slightly. Maybe friendship was not impossible for an outcast like her after all. The blonde left, waving at the girl frozen in place. Ami's cheeks burned with the embarrassment from such attention. Usagi was bursting with enthusiasm, a complete opposite to Mizuno's collected, philosophical demeanor. They were nearly polar opposites. Ami smiled; they were a perfect match. No statistic would have placed them together, nor any aptitude test, personality test, or horoscope. No, the universe itself could never have placed them together logically, save as an anomaly.

A true smile graced her features as she hurried to cram school. Mizuno Ami was no longer a number on a board. She knew as she felt the wind blow across her face that Usagi could help her on her journey. She would no longer be defined by her studies and her intellect, but by who she was. It was time for the true Mizuno Ami to shine.

An hour later showed her with much less enthusiasm. She had started into her lesson realizing she lost the mandatory diskette. Most likely, it was on the floor of Juuban in the vicinity of her earlier accident. Her mind was beginning to drift. The world had righted itself and she felt idle sitting in a stuffy classroom. A small piece of the puzzle had opened and she wanted to crack the next part. Her mind reeled at what the next riddle could be and how to solve it. Her mind was spinning in infinite loops, making her body fidgety with its continuous motion.

Ami was startled from her musings when the monitors around her began to flicker. A fog had settled in the room while she had been staring out the window. The students suddenly started to slump forward as the fog thickened. She felt the hair on her arms and legs prickling with the cold and a sudden awareness. Somehow, she sensed an unnatural quality about the fog and it frightened her. Ami, who had always felt the most secure when surrounded by water, be it a pool, ocean, or low-lying cloud, felt a shiver go up her spine as the room disappeared into a white haze.

She quickly stood, her chair falling to the ground with a dull thud, attempting to assess the situation. She saw her fellow classmates on the floor. Her ice blue eyes looked questioningly at the screen below her. As she stared at the dark monitor as if it would confess its secrets, a disembodied hand shot out from the haze and grabbed her around the neck. It turned the girl to face it and Ami saw a pair of black, beady eyes staring into her own. If possible, her body temperature dropped a few degrees from simply looking at the creature holding her suspended above the ground. For a moment she wondered if the chilling feeling cascading across her body was fear.

It seemed to cackle something before shoving her face into the monitor. The screen flickered on and began flashing. Ami closed her eyes, trying to avoid whatever it had done to her peers. The creature easily pressed her face closer to the monitor. Ami gritted her teeth, as she felt the glass begin to crack beneath her cheek. A small trickle of blood traced across her jaw line and dripped off her chin. With the water in the air from the fog the electric components of the monitor would electrocute her once they were exposed.

Sweat dripped down the back of her neck as she felt the energy in her body being pulled away. It felt as though her blood was flowing backwards, making her both light-headed and nauseous. With fleeting energy, she realized this was the fate of her fellow students.

Ami continued to fight as the creature caused the pulsing light of the monitor to go at an alarming rate, pulling her energy away until her body felt disjointed. She could feel a severing of body and mind, and knew that soon she would be dead. She closed her eyes, falling gently to float in the tide that flowed through her mind.

"Intellectual energy seems as though it's the most promising," a voice sounded through the water running in her ears.

"These children who spend their lives to achieve better scores—they are without a doubt the best for collecting energy. No others are as vengeful and cruel, none as competitive as these. They were truly the best target. For once you made a good decision, Jadeite," another said.

Ami winced. She could never remember wishing evil on those who performed better than she did. Certainly her other peers did not as well. These people who attacked them, whoever they were, did not understand. Studying was her aptitude.

But life was more than learning. More than books and figures and calculations; her peers were more than that. She couldn't remember when she had changed to being defined by her ability to learn instead of just considering it a talent. These people could not understand the need to have an identity when none was available. It was truly an isolated world for them.

These two men had made the same mistake. They saw her the same as everyone else: the smart person who has nothing troubling in life because she has it all planned out in her head. And she has the smarts to make it happen. But for diligent students there was no time for anything else. These people, their attackers, could never understand the loneliness that came from studying. She had spent many nights wondering if she got another top score if her mother would congratulate her and spend a few precious hours with her. That was the only time they made cookies any more.

These teens were the same. They were all the same: just looking for love the only way they knew how. Maybe it was not the best way, but it was all they could do. These men had put a stop to that. The thought infuriated her. Never before had she felt so bitter at the world than she did at these men who could never understand her. The loneliness, anger, and general distaste of her life rose in her mind and suddenly she was sounding a battle cry.

Mizuno Ami would prove them all wrong. She clenched her fist, the tide around her swirling with the fierce resolve of her soul. In the whirlpool around her she felt something ancient and strong. Without hesitation, she grabbed it and squeezed, determined to show the world her true self. Iridescent blue light exploded around her, enveloping her soul and body, pressing them together until they fused once more. As she felt the tingling sensation of blood running through her veins once more she was neither frightened nor surprised to find herself encircled by a ring of water. It seemed natural, as normal as the ocean that sounded through her ears and the thin layer of ice cast across her skin.

Her body, shining in intense blue light, turned to the youma behind her. She felt no remorse as she raised her hand. The circling water flowed helically around her extended arm and into the youma. She watched with dispassionate eyes as the water twisted into its chest like a drill, dissipating only when it met the wall. The youma burst apart and the fog cleared as the stolen energy flowed back into the lifeless bodies strewn about the room. As the surrounding light diminished, her cold eyes looked around. The two men were gone.

Feeling exhaustion from the ordeal, she quickly leapt out of the window. As she made her way to her apartment only then did she realize a white bodysuit that had materialized upon her. The small blue skirt and bow waved in the wind. This, too, somehow felt right. She knew that this moment was what she had been waiting for. This transformation was the key to solving the emptiness in her soul that caused her restlessness. This, and Usagi.

The mysteries of Tsukino Usagi would come to her later in the night. When the windows were black and the room filled with shadows, a life's worth of memories filled her teenage mind. The coverlet fell to the floor as the girl continued to fight with a barrage of images connected and yet unconnected with this world. The full life of Sailor Mercury, the High Princess of Mercury, came to an end in the dreams of Mizuno Ami as her sweat-soaked body lurched forward from her mattress. The water on her skin instantly froze as the last few memories before death trickled across her unseeing eyes. Her frozen, chapped lips parted as her eyes focused on the black night, only possible when the moon was in its repose. Only one word fell into that fathomless darkness.

"_Serenity_."


	3. Chiba Mamoru

Whew! This has been a busy week, moving into a new apartment and finishing up my publication for work/school/slavery. Not to mention doing a good job of spilling pure super glue on my desk at work... to find that it reacted with the lacquer! Not such a good thing, really. Anyway, more about the story less about my clutz attacks...

Here's the third chapter. Things start going fast from here and lots of characters are going to be introduced in the next few chapters (no one new, just the same old faces.) There's a funky break in here where I combined two chapters, so I tried to make it transition nicely but it may be a bit choppy.

Now, for some review plugging! Shameless ploys to get more reviews!!

**Ummster**: This chapter will not disappoint you! If the title didn't give it away.

**Midnight**: A good and bad review are not defined by length. Both posts were encouraging so don't feel guilty about leaving a 2 word response. Otherwise, this story is actually about 85 finished already. I'm refining the final chapters as I post these each week. So, if I miss a week it's because of my own schedule and not because the chapter isn't written. Hope you're up for reading a new chapter every Saturday!

**Bin**: Glad I've caught your attention. This story is definitely going to be different from most!

**Kire**: Hope you continue to see this story's potential. The exposition is basically over, so everything from here on in is the bulk of what is going on. I'm one of those authors that just dives into a story and doesn't spend 3 chapters going over where everything begins. (One of the major reasons I could never enjoy Tolkien.) Thank you for the compliments to my writing style as I am never quite sure how it comes out on the other side.

That's about all I've got left to say. Enjoy and review.

- Lillie Bell  
(next update: 4 Aug 07; where did July go? I still feel like it's March!)

* * *

_Absolution:  
Chiba Mamoru_

If the students of Juuban noticed the changed teenager, they left it without saying. In barely two days, it became common knowledge that the blue-haired genius would allow no one but Naru near Usagi. The desks behind and on one side of the blonde were vacated. Those who dared sit near her received an icy glare from the new girl followed by a strong draft of cold wind issuing from nowhere. Many claimed their hearts literally froze from a simple _glance_ of Mizuno's piercing, pale blue eyes. Ami mused that perhaps this behavior affected her socially, but one look at Usagi laughing hysterically with Naru and that was of little consequence. She would protect the princess—her life came second.

Lunch followed the same grain. There were still the brave few, usually Umino, who would strive to talk with Usagi before Mizuno sat gracefully beside her. Though a shady tree was their table, the air always felt ten degrees cooler when Ami entered under the canopy. The temperature drop alone was enough to scare off most students.

It was at their second lunch that Usagi asked Ami to come to Crown with her. Naru had cram school and was unable to go. The blue-haired teen lamented her inability to register in any of the on-going sessions in cram school before agreeing to join her new friend. After all, it gave her more opportunity to observe her princess. Usagi and Serenity were truly two different people. She was certain knowing the princess meant nothing about knowing Usagi.

So, when school was out for the day a very excited blonde grabbed Ami's arm and the two headed to the arcade. As they walked, Usagi babbled on cheerfully. The soldier smiled happily at her jovial nature. Serenity was so very reserved and quiet; it seemed Usagi was an exact polar opposite. In truth, it was almost refreshing. While Serenity appeared tranquil, there was always an impermeable sadness about her. Seeing the giddy blonde acting as a normal teenager lifted Ami's heart.

"We're here!" she sang as the automatic doors opened. Before Ami had time to scan the building for any threats, or the general layout, she found herself facing a video game. Usagi seated herself on the stool in front of the game and inserted some money.

"Sailor V," Ami read.

"Oh, yeah, there's no better game than Sailor V," Usagi replied before launching into a new game. Various noises and flashing screens flew past as she advanced through the levels. Ami watched obligingly from behind, sometimes looking around the arcade. She had the distinct sensation of being watched. Her body was rigid and her ears were perked for sounds of an attacker, so she missed when Sailor V died and Usagi insisted she play the next round. Not wanting to disappoint her Ami started a new game, always keeping an eye out for any quick movements. The blonde offered some tips as she went through the levels before eventually dying. They switched off again, Ami glad to be able to watch her princess more effectively.

An hour later, after Usagi had sufficiently drained her pockets, the two headed toward their homes. They chatted happily as they walked down the street. Ami could not shake the feeling of being watched. In the past, her ears would burn when someone would stare too long. At the moment they were tomato red. After crossing the road, the girls split ways, agreeing to meet the next day.

As Ami turned the corner, she slowed until she felt that _she_ was being followed and not Usagi. She nonchalantly led her follower into a loading dock behind a local restaurant. As she neared a dead-end, she spun, one hand flying out to attack whoever was behind her. Her fist met nothing but air.

"Who are you?" she growled at the man standing several meters away from her. He was tall, with sunglasses and an Azabu school uniform. Her nose curled with the memories of all her associations with Azabu students. Most were less than pleasant as she used to attend its sister academy and many functions were joined between the schools. But aside from the uniform, this man raised warning bells in her mind. She had been sure to walk into a relatively dark area, and he had yet to remove his shades.

Her eyes narrowed at his lack of response. Moving into a fighting stance, feeling the air around her beginning to cool in preparation of her attack, she snarled. "What is your interest in Usagi-san?"

This question snapped the man into action. He moved a few steps closer, his hands comfortably inside his pants pockets. Even through his sunglasses she could feel his gaze analyzing her. She gritted her teeth. He was a threat and if he would not cooperate then she would kill him.

The air around them condensed into a haze as she powered into her transformation. Once again she could feel the rush of water in her ears. The tide shifted and she latched onto the wave of power rising within her. Just as she felt water coalescing around her, he spoke.

"Sailor Mercury."

In her moment of surprise, Ami lost her concentration and the haze and transformation fell away from her. Angered by his ability to distract her, she simply went to Plan B. In a quick motion, she was on the balls of her feet, rushing in with her fists aimed straight at those mysterious shades. His lack of concern infuriated her and infused her fist with icy ire as she sent it flying into his face.

She was completely surprised when he simply side-stepped her and grabbed hold of her wrist. The ice around her hands melted, along with her will to fight. The teen stared into tinted darkness, trying to see the man behind the tinted lenses.

With his free hand, he removed his sunglasses and revealed a pair of deep blue eyes. With a teenage blush, Ami nearly admitted that they were an amazing contrast with his dark hair and made him quite a handsome man. His frown and the fact that he held her wrist in a loose grip, however, brought her back to the present.

His eyes narrowed at her, analyzing her once again before dropping her hand. "I suppose if you have been awakened then the war has truly begun."

Ice blue eyes blinked at him. A barely distinguishable smirk snuck on his face. "You have no idea who I am or what has been going on, do you?"

Her silence was his only reply aside from an indignant glare. He looked around as a few men came from the doors of the loading dock. With a sigh, he stated, "This is not a good place. You know where the arcade is; come tonight at ten." He turned to leave.

"It will be closed."

"Only for those who are unwanted," he said over his shoulder before dissolving into the streets of Tokyo. The shades were back in place, hiding his face from the world.

Mizuno Ami stared at the lifeless glass doors of Crown. She checked her watch, seeing she was fifteen minutes early. Blowing away her bangs and cursing having to leave Usagi without a guard, she began to tap her foot. Losing patience, she tapped against the glass doors. In a sudden motion they swished open and she was greeted with a smiling face coming within a few centimeters of her own.

"Yo!" Motoki smiled. He opened his eyes only to see the buildings across the street. Wondering where the cute, blue-haired girl had disappeared to, he looked down. Mizuno Ami sat on her butt twitching and distraught. His green eyes blinked repeatedly before the blond happily pulled the stunned girl to her feet.

"Hey," he began cheerily, bringing her into the arcade and towards the Sailor V game. "I'm Furuhata Motoki. Mamoru told me you would show up tonight and to show you around until he got here."

Ami had not noticed him leading her to the game until they were both standing in front of it and he was pressing the controller buttons. She stared as the machine moved backward and revealed a hidden staircase. Fluorescent lighting from the level below lit up the dark arcade. Before she could get her bearings, the blond was pulling her into the hidden room. Looking around she found herself in a control room. It was rather plain: grey tile and grey walls, though the wall in front of her was lined with a console and a large computer. As she scanned along the ledge of the console, she found a very familiar figure typing.

"Luna!" Ami ran to the previous advisor of Her Eminence Queen Serenity. The black cat turned and with a smile allowed Ami to pull her into a hug. The girl pulled away, discretely wiping away the tears sneaking out of the corners of her eyes.

The cat smiled. "Mamoru said he found you today."

Ami sobered immediately. She knew Luna would be just as concerned about the princess' safety as she was, so the cat's association with the Azabu student must have meant he was an ally. But something about him made Ami hesitant to trust him. "Who is he, Luna?"

The cat looked pained to clarify the man's association. As it was, she had no way to explain Mamoru to the senshi of water. Motoki clapped happily. The two jumped, having forgotten about him. "Well, since Mamoru will be here soon, and you can ask him whatever you want then, how about I give you the grand tour?"

Ami looked around the room. Save another small console to the left of the stairs that had wires, various metal boxes, and machine parts around it, she assumed there was not much else to see. Her gaze returned to the blond who looked as if he were going to explode with excitement. He pressed a button and suddenly the wall between the two consoles moved. "Now, first, we have various beds set up for medical as well as resting purposes," Motoki began, walking down the hall. Ami hurried to catch up to him before the wall closed.

"You and Mamoru have been building this the last three years?" she asked incredulously when they returned to the console room. Not only was the bottom of the arcade fitted with a hospital's worth of medical supplies, but there were also food storages, shelters, and various collapsible escape routes. There was even a padded training room. The grand tour was a sweeping circle, landing them in the room beneath the infamous Sailor V game.

"Well, we cleaned out all the old games and Mamoru thought it would be perfect." He raced over to the small console with various parts and a half-built unit. Luna rolled her eyes at his enthusiasm. He had showed her that same gizmo months ago. "And, see, this is what I've been working on in my free time—"

"What about the computer?" She ran her fingers across the chrome ledge before hopping into a chair and pressing some buttons at the larger console. Motoki pouted behind her as he set the box down and began to work on it.

"We found a way to link it to the old computer on the Moon. It wasn't serviceable, but we were able to acquire the data it had saved on it," Luna continued.

The teenager turned to the cat, eyes wide. "How long have you been here?"

Motoki, fiddling with the unit and the wires connected to it, answered happily. "Luna showed up about six months ago."

She looked back to the cat, who nodded in confirmation. "The boys had the computer up, and it didn't take much to link it to the one on the Moon. Now it tracks and logs previous activities of the Dark Kingdom so we can see what their strength is at and how to handle them."

"That's how we knew you had been awakened. There was an energy fluctuation a month ago and then a few days ago there was another huge spike. We knew something had happened." Motoki snorted, "Luna thought you were some sort of Dark Kingdom commander at first." He burst out laughing at the cat's glare.

"You knew I had awakened?" she repeated, amazed. The cat simply nodded. "Is that how they found you?"

Luna looked away, shaking her head. "No. Mamoru found me. I was being picked on by a bunch of boys and Usagi scared them off. She ran off to school and I followed her. Mamoru stopped me before I could talk to her."

Motoki popped up at Ami's shoulder with his metal box, nearly poking her eye out with a red wire. "See, this is going to be a companion console that allows for communication between us all. So we can be like those guys in the sci-fi shows and talk to each other. Isn't it great?

"Mamoru said you were rather smart. Maybe you could help me find out how to get a private frequency so we can't be heard." The man said gleefully. Musing to himself, he added, "It's funny how I'm the only one in college and I'm the one asking middle and high school kids for help with these projects. Hey, I wonder if I can get extra credit."

Motoki's excited babbling ended as the grating of metal against tile signaled the trapdoor opening. Mamoru jumped into the fluorescent pit and perched his sunglasses upon his head. He nodded curtly to Ami before making his way to the computer and typing with amazing speed.

Ami watched his profile, a strange wave of nausea coming over her. Bile rose in her throat and she swallowed it down. She winced as it burned, her eyes watering. Her breath came fast and ragged through suddenly thin lungs. Her eyes shut and she pressed a hand to her amazingly hot forehead. The teen could feel a thin trickle of sweat on her neck. Closing her eyes, she sought the comfort of the darkness there, but had no such luck.

Scenes went in fast-forward until she suddenly remembered the last day of her previous life. The ground shook with unnatural tremors as the demonic soldiers of the Dark Kingdom marched closer to the Moon Palace. Noblemen and women shoved past her in a frenzy to escape the rapidly collapsing building.

Running against the tide, Sailor Mercury made her way to the library where she had left Serenity earlier that day. The princess had looked particularly distraught with the sudden evil aura that had encompassed the Earth. She had asked Mercury to scan the planet for any evidence of life, but the senshi had run off to a meeting before the scan completed.

Dodging a piece of roofing, the ice senshi arrived at the library. As she ran through the aisles she did not see the familiarly bent head of Serenity. In this room the noise of the palace collapsing was muffled. In a panic, the senshi ran through all the secret rooms afraid that her princess had not been alerted to the danger of the oncoming armies.

As she ran past an alcove, her keen ears picked up frantic whispering. Feeling the need to alert an innocent citizen of the evacuation of the palace, she squeezed between the shelves and popped out into the alcove. Whatever words that would have issued from her lips stopped dead. Before her were her princess and a very tall, armored man. They both had turned when she came through and the light shown against the crest on his chest.

Her voice was small as her unseeing eyes took in the man who had stopped typing to watch her, as if he could sense her reliving the faint memory. Her lips broke open as she stared at the two versions of him that existed in her present and past memory.

"_Endymion_."

A week later, Ami absentmindedly rubbed her sore side as she left the schoolyard. Mamoru had taken fewer precautions when training her the previous night. Instead of the wooden sword, he came at her with a true weapon. Though he had hit her with the blunt side, the man's strength left quite a bruise upon her ribs. He obliged to heal a good bit of it, but left some soreness to remind her of the lesson.

She blew her bangs out of her eyes, tossing her bag over her shoulder. He was a tough teacher, for sure, but she could feel her body getting stronger. She still could not compete with him, but she was becoming a fairly good opponent for the older teen. Occasionally, even Motoki would spar with her. She was happy to say that recently she managed to best the blond more often than not. And she certainly saw improvement when fighting the youma that sprouted up. Most of the time, Mamoru simply watched from the sidelines in his funny tuxedo and mask, critiquing her when the battle was over. As of late, however, he did not even bother to henshin and would demand of her a short sparring session if the youma were too weak to pose as a training exercise.

She made her way to the arcade, knowing Usagi would already be there zooming through levels on the Sailor V game. It amazed her that the blonde had managed to pick the one video game that led to their secret control center. She almost postulated Mamoru had set that up purposefully, save she knew the dark-haired junior did everything in his power to steer Usagi away from himself.

That had been her most surprising revelation that first night weeks ago when she had been introduced to the reincarnated prince of Earth. In the past, when she had found the two in the library, she had shooed them out quickly, intent on getting answers later. At the time she had been more worried for her princess' safety. Unfortunately, she never did meet up with them. A small frown pressed against her face as she walked down the street, lost in a world of old memories. _What happened after I left them?_

More puzzling was the fact that Mamoru never showed up to talk to Ami when she was with Usagi. He certainly never set foot inside the arcade during the prime hours. Furthermore, he skirted any conversation that placed the two of them together or involved her. The ice senshi was perplexed by the man's behavior. It seemed that though he had remembered his past, he only embraced the need to protect the princess.

_Had he cared for Serenity in their past life?_

"Ami-chan!" Usagi called her friend from her deep thoughts. Ami didn't even realize she had made it into the arcade already. She smiled at the blonde and proceeded to the Sailor V game. Usagi set up shop and began pressing the illuminated buttons. Soon, the blonde was completely engrossed in the pixilated battle before her.

Ami scanned the arcade. Not that there was ever much danger with Motoki's watchful eye, but she never felt certain unless she did so herself. The chime of the doors caught her attention and she turned ice blue eyes to see a dark-haired teen in an Azabu uniform. The shades cinched it.

Her mouth and eyelids fell open, and she couldn't help the, "Mamoru-san?" that squeaked out of her throat. She felt Usagi stumble a bit in her game play, but then the clatter of the buttons continued. Ami snapped out of her shock a moment later and headed over to the boys.

"Wow, Hitomi burped during lecture?" Motoki was guffawing as Mamoru handed over a few sheets of notes from his pack. He nodded with a small frown on his face, unable to understand his friend's humor.

"That's the last time I take notes for your Psych class," he grumbled. "No wonder you wanted to skip."

"Hey, I couldn't find anyone to pick up the shift."

"Likely story."

Ami walked up behind Mamoru. "Hi." Mamoru simply nodded at her as she slid onto a stool beside where he stood. "You don't usually come in here."

Mamoru's mouth clamped tight, but the blond across from him had the opposite reaction. "That's because he's afraid of Usagi-chan."

"Motoki," the younger man growled. He picked up his pack and headed toward the farthest booth. Motoki chuckled, watching the moody teenager go. Ami continued to stare as he made Mamoru's unspoken order. He set the finished tray before her and sent her off to deliver it to the booth.

They were silent as Mamoru munched on his food, sunglasses tucked away. She snuck away with two or three fries, but wasn't really hungry. Motoki's remark struck a chord in her. She opened her mouth when the subject of their attention yelped and bounced from her stool. The two watched as she stared at the GAME OVER screen, scandalized, before decisively pressing more change into the machine.

Ami smiled at her vivacious charge, but it faded away as she turned to the man across from her. His eyes were riveted on Usagi as she poised to destroy Sailor V's adversaries. Ami watched as his eyes danced with a light she had never seen. Sure, she had seen him laugh and chuckle with Motoki, even the sly smile when he was training, but his countenance had never held any true joy. In fact, it was a heartbroken wistfulness that sparked life in those deep blue eyes.

"Do you have feelings for Usagi?"

The question rolled off her lips before she could stop it. Her rational mind knew it needed to be asked. But, as with an objective mind, she had little tact with the wording, and she appeared insensitive when she voiced her query.

The only indication that the man heard her was the slight widening of his eyelids. A heavy breath pressed through his lips before he turned to her. Ami's breath hitched as she saw the naked anguish in his eyes. Her face must have shown her surprise and guilt, for he closed those emotion-ridden eyes and when they opened again the blue was its normal muted tone, his face neutral.

Usagi interrupted them again as she let out an excited squeal at beating her personal best. The two continued to watch as she made a show of pushing up her short sleeves before plowing into the next, uncharted level.

"She is not Serenity," Ami offered. She kept her gaze fixed on Usagi, fearing Mamoru would retreat once again if she peered at him. Secretly, she did not want to witness that same utterly broken expression.

"No, it is not for Serenity's sake that I have continued to fight in this life," he answered softly. Ami jumped at the gentle lilt in his voice. Though most of the time he was barking out orders or talking about the Dark Kingdom's underground operations, she had the notion that even normally he did not speak so softly. His eyes took in the image of Usagi huddled over her video game, enraptured. "I want her to be free."

"Serenity was free," Ami volleyed before thinking. His eyes penetrated hers and she felt instantly that her tongue was on fire. _Liar_, his glare so obviously stated. Instinctively, she knew her princess was never happy with her lot in life, but had simply accepted it after a time. Serenity had learned to enjoy the life she had, or so Ami had thought.

Yet, Usagi was truly free. She was not held by the strictures of society or royalty. She was the girl Serenity wanted to be, but could not. The blonde was able to dream and hope for a future whereas Serenity's was nearly all scheduled for her. Engaged at birth, cotillion trained at six, and nearly a queen at fourteen, Serenity's life was not her own. Every last moment of her life had been planned, and though she had fought against it, she eventually gave into the fact that she was expected to be the woman the world wanted to see.

Perhaps the only unplanned part of her life was Endymion.

_How hard was it for Serenity to destroy the life she hated?_ Mamoru thought as he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. The pain of his past pressed into his chest. The empty cavity burned as memories of the Silver Millennium overwhelmed him. _How hard is it to protect the life of one woman?_ He fought the urge to push his hand against the ache, knowing it would only make it worse. He vaguely wondered if at this distance Usagi could feel his embedded soul calling out for its rightful body, or if he had truly buried the connection so well over these years that it no longer affected her.

_Had he not abandoned his world, his people, and his life, in the end as well?_

Mamoru struggled with the silent, overwhelming emptiness of his soulless body as Ami, oblivious to his plight, was almost glad her princess had died. This age allowed her to fulfill all the dreams that had died before they could even be voiced during the Moon Kingdom. Happiness bubbled through her believing her princess could truly be happy this time. She even puffed with pride knowing that she would be a large factor in Usagi's life, as opposed to the distant guardian she once was. Mamoru stood abruptly, surprising her from her musings. He staggered a bit, holding onto the table as his chest heaved.

Unfortunately for him, he had been wrong. The soulless chamber in his body burned at the proximity of its treasure, hidden deep within the small blonde teen. If he stayed longer, he feared she would feel disjointed and notice him. He continued to struggle, grabbing his bag and pressing a hand into his chest, before stumbling out of the arcade.

"Is he okay?"

Ami blinked at the sudden presence at her elbow. Usagi stood there, watching the young man run off, a hand pressed to her throat. Her face winced and Ami wondered if Usagi was suffering the same sudden pain as Mamoru.

"I think so," Ami finally admitted. Both pairs of blue eyes stared out the door as if the junior would walk back down the sidewalk at any moment and appease their worries.

Unnoticed, Motoki crossed his arms over his chest from behind the counter. His eyes flitted from Usagi to his friend's retreating back, barely visible from his position. The teen rounded a corner and fell out of Motoki's line of vision. Maybe Mamoru really was afraid of the petite blonde. He sighed. _How long would he continue to run from her?_


	4. Kino Makoto

Well it's been another week, so it's time for a new chapter! My publication is in the last editing phase, so in a few months I may be able to google my name and find myself! That's always exciting.

Anyway, not much to say about the story. Another new character is brought in (titled accordingly :P). Now enters another senshi and a bit of plot thickening! A large component of this piece is that nothing is as it seems. Heehee, this story will keep you guessing for a little while longer :) Especially because things will start to heat up (har har) next chapter!

Shameless plugging:

**FireSenshi**: I update every week (usually Saturday or late Friday night), so tune in :) I'm glad you're enjoying how it's gone so far :D

**Ummster**: Yeah... drama is what I'm most familiar with. And there's going to be plenty of it in this piece! Angst, desperation, loss of hope, resignation... it makes me tingle just thinking about it :3 As for the storyline, you'll have to be kept in the dark just a wee bit longer. :)

**Midnight**: Heehee, Mamoru is cute, if not a little weird. You'll see more of him now that he's been introduced. It helps that he's a main character :P

**Kire**: There's going to be a lot of things that are unexpected :D Hopefully, that will make this story new and different from most posted out there. That has been my goal all along.

Enjoy and review :)

- Lillie Bell  
(next update: 11 August 2007)

* * *

_Absolution:  
Kino Makoto_

After the arcade incident, Ami heard less from Mamoru. They still trained and went over the recent activity of the Dark Kingdom (which was rather slim.) But the man only talked when absolutely necessary. Though Motoki did his best to prod his friend into speaking, it rarely worked. They were both amazed when Mamoru managed a laugh the other day when Motoki had tripped Ami during a sparring match. The dark sound had been so foreign the two thought the air conditioning system was short circuiting at first. Then they both turned to see Mamoru's shoulders shaking with his low chuckles. Even Luna, nestled in his lap, stared at him as if he'd grown an extra head.

Ami headed to her seat, ignoring the murmurs and slight gasps at her presence. In the last week, the student populace had learned about her affiliation with the Azabu teen. She hadn't realized his popularity until she was confronted with every manner of girl (and sometimes guy) demanding to know her exact relationship with Chiba-sempai. After a few glares, however, they had stopped questioning her. She stretched her neck, twisting it back and forth, as she settled primly in her seat.

Her neck was a little stiff from sleeping funny after passing out in her desk chair, her head sitting back against her shoulders, the previous night. The bruises were getting less frequent as they trained, but it seemed as though they were spending more time doing so. It was two in the morning when she finally crept into the apartment. She wiped at her sleepy eyes, though a small smile etched across her face.

Last night was the first time she fought as Sailor Mercury. She was slightly embarrassed when Mamoru was still able to beat her, though it was obvious by the slight sweat on his brow that it had not been a cake walk. She puffed a bit at that. At least she was getting better.

Usagi chatted on the other side of the room with a few of her friends. Ami smiled slightly, looking at the empty desks around her. Somehow she had managed to deter most of Usagi's fan club. Now they had to wait for the mornings when Ami would simply sit in her chair like a content, alert cat. Even then, they felt her cold eyes watching them, daring them to make a move at Usagi. No one understood Mizuno's strange obsession with the girl, especially when she was thought to be dating Chiba-sempai, but none were brave enough to question her. That did not stop the rumor mills from churning, however.

The students quickly stood before their seats as the teacher came in, a tall brunette following behind her. A few introductions were made, though they were lost to the water senshi. She stared straight into the proud gaze of Sailor Jupiter. She vaguely caught the name Kino Makoto waft through the air. The tall girl caught Ami's stare and offered her own challenging scowl. To her amazement, the frail looking blue-haired girl smiled at her. It was as if the girl had anticipated Makoto's response and was delighted that it was as she expected.

It did not surprise the new student half as much as the others when the teacher asked someone to offer a local desk that Mizuno raised her hand and offered the desk directly behind Usagi. The other students gasped almost audibly at the girl who had previously allowed no one near the precious blonde. She smiled companionably at the grumpy brunette, and even chuckled when Usagi hopped around in her seat and introduced herself. Makoto stared at the girl as if she'd grown a few heads, and Ami covered her mouth and gave a petite laugh. The class went silent at the display; the ice queen had unbelievably shown an emotion aside from bone-chilling ire.

The rest of the day went by pleasantly for Makoto. Usagi bounced happily around her lunch once she had tasted it. The brunette even had the grace to blush when the smaller teen swooned over her cooking. Feeling a bit of pride, and slightly shy of the enthusiastic girl, she offered her lunch and it was nearly gone before she realized she hadn't eaten a piece yet.

Ami, on the other side of Usagi, gave a knowing smile and when the blonde went buzzing around to some of the other students' lunch sites she offered the taller girl her half eaten lunch. Makoto eyed her companion suspiciously. While the smile on Mizuno's face was friendly, there was always a sparkle of knowing laughter behind her eyes. It was strange that this small girl looked at her as if she knew her every move; as though they'd been friends for a very long time. Frankly, it freaked her out. And anything that made her uncomfortable she usually solved by making it clear she wasn't to be messed with. Of course, this violent behavior caused her to be expelled from her other schools. This Mizuno girl, however, seemed to take even her most menacing glowers with that small, secretive smile. And the girl's simper caused Makoto's hair to stand on end and warning bells to sound in her ears.

As Ami walked down the hall at the end of the day, she found Makoto leaning against a column, looking straight at her. The ice senshi smiled, knowing Makoto was not one to turn down an opponent, and the whole day she had been purposefully riling the tall teen. The two stood face to face, the students around them standing back a little. A certain blonde, however, was oblivious to the sudden drop in temperature and gathering of static electricity about them.

"Ami-chan," she sang, "are you ready to go to the arcade?"

"No, Usagi-chan, I have cram school." She lied eloquently.

Usagi pouted cutely, then turned to Makoto with a hopeful smile. "Mako-chan?"

The brunette snuck a glance at Ami, and was able to surmise that she did not have cram school. She nodded, barely noticeable except to Ami. Her eyes danced at the prospect of a challenge. Already she was starting to feel light-headed as adrenaline pumped through her veins. "No, Usagi, I'm afraid I can't go today."

Usagi sighed, then simply shrugged and headed out. Ami followed behind her, Makoto joining them wordlessly. They split with the blonde and headed toward the industrial side of Tokyo. Ami turned down a street and was at the back of an abandoned warehouse. Makoto's brown eyes took in the drab building with little interest, but watchful for others. She stopped shortly after entering the building, making sure that the entryway was available to her. Her fists clenched in anticipation.

"Who are you?"

Ami turned from her position a few meters in front of the new girl. She smiled that same chilling smile. "I am someone from your past who will bring you into your future," she said softly.

Makoto's mouth opened to reply when she felt a cold wind rush by her. She wrapped her arms around her as the temperature dropped and ice began to cover the walls. She turned to see the entrance had been the first thing to freeze. She cursed her recklessness before turning to the girl before her.

Mizuno Ami had her hands pressed to her throat as the icy winds danced around her in gentle caresses. Her eyes slowly opened and the ice blue orbs danced before the cold streams wrapped around her, pulling away her school uniform. Bare, pale flesh twirled before being wrapped in iced waves of bright blue energy. Makoto blinked her eyes as a prim figure stood before her in a sailor suit.

"Sa-Sailor Mercury?" she muttered after overcoming her initial shock.

A simple smile and a graceful bow were her response.

The smile faded away and her face turned serious. "I will awaken you, Sailor Jupiter. Your duty is to protect the princess and that must be remembered. The Dark Kingdom has come once again to harm our world and our princess. Forgive me, but I cannot allow you to live in ignorance."

Makoto stared, stunned.

Mercury moved into a fighting stance, her feet planted with instinctive sureness above the ice that covered the floor. "Forgive me, my friend, but I must steal your innocence. The princess needs you." As she advanced she added in a whisper, "And I am so much alone in this; I need you."

With that, the ice senshi flew toward her human opponent. She knew it was unfair to fight the girl this way, and that she should wait until Makoto came naturally into her powers, as Ami did. Yet, time did not allow for gentleness. The Dark Kingdom's moves were becoming more structured, and Ami knew the final battle would require all her sisters. She was minutely aware that if she had not been awakened Mamoru would have perhaps done the same to her.

Makoto dodged the spin-kick well, though she slid a few extra meters than she expected. It was hard enough just to keep footing on the frozen floor, but being attacked made it nearly impossible for her to stay on her feet. Instead she dodged by sliding herself to and fro. Sometimes she stayed on her feet, sometimes she slid into a wall or fell harshly onto her sides.

She gritted her teeth as the senshi came at her again. Her arms came up to block the punch, but she slipped and missed the left hook that sent her into the large boxes sitting around the warehouse. She wiped the blood from her cheek and pressed her tongue to the top of her mouth, fearing she would bite it off. She looked at the scrapes on her arms and legs. The school's uniform was not the best for deterring the icy floor from scratching her tanned skin. Her body protested due to the tenderness of her bruises as she attempted to climb from the cardboard jungle.

Before she had time to gather herself, however, she felt a sudden chill running up her spine. To her utter amazement her feet were frozen to the floor. She watched as the ice slowly traveled up her ankles. She turned to Sailor Mercury who was hovering before her prone body. It was irritating that the teen was just outside of her range. She felt certain that if she broke the senshi's concentration the ice at her feet, and possibly the whole floor, would be gone. Reaching behind her, she felt for a frosted box. In a quick moment, she thrust it into her opponent's temple.

With a yelp of victory, she shook her feet free and approached the smiling Mercury as all of the ice melted. A trickle of blood fell from the girl's temple, yet she showed no signs of pain or disillusionment. Makoto clenched her teeth, the two teens circling upon the now melted floor. The brunette cursed the cold water that snuck into her shoes, trying to pay it no mind. Frostbite was something she would concern herself with later. For now, she just needed to stay alive.

Mercury put her hands before her and a gush of water came at Makoto. She put up her arms, blocking the small blast. She had barely opened her eyes when she registered the foot coming at her face from a few degrees above her. Her body flew through the air, spinning before she felt the ground slam into her back. Her head cracked against the cement floor and she fought for consciousness. One eye peeked open and she rolled quickly out of the way of Mercury's elbow. She was not lucky enough to evade the following icicle.

Holding her bleeding arm, Makoto breathed heavily. She ripped out the embedded icicle, wishing its cold would have numbed her to the pain. Instead, it had only heightened the feeling of blood pulsing out of her body. Her heart hammered in her head and she knew she'd have a knot there tomorrow. She stepped back as Mercury advanced on her, her vision starting to turn hazy. In a short time, she felt a corner at her elbows. Her eyes widened as the ice senshi gave a cold smile before pointing straight at the tall teen. Her irises nearly turned white as a helix of water wrapped around her body, traveling down the extended arm.

_She's going to kill me_, Makoto realized. She looked to her left and right, but had no where to go. There was no escape for her.

Mercury was nearly five meters away when she fired the blast. The twin torrents of water spiraled around one another in a vortex of destruction. Makoto watched the lance of water coming at her, her heart in her throat. She was going to die in some abandoned warehouse in an unfair fight. No one would miss her; she was a nuisance after all. Inviting fights and having to continuously change schools afforded her more enemies than friends. The only people who would miss her were already dead. She wondered if her parents were saving her a seat somewhere in the afterlife.

Makoto gritted her teeth, shaking the morbid thoughts away as the frozen walls bit into her aching back. Her eyes turned hard. _I will not die this way._ Her fists clenched as she stared defiantly at the oncoming stream. Her head began to pound with the pressure her ire produced. Her blood pumped quickly through her system. She could hear its maddening pulse between her temples and as it dripped out of her arm. But then, she felt another sound, something embedded within her long ago. A crackling called to her, feeding her fury. She reached for it, not questioning its presence within her soul, only wanting to fight and win. She would not cower in a corner and wait for death to take her. Her eyes hardened with determination. If she survived, she'd show the impertinent ice senshi a real battle.

Electricity ran through the air, and suddenly lightning bolts shot out in every direction. A large one ripped straight through the jet of water, dispersing it into steam, before continuing on at amazing speed. Mercury's eyes grew large as a bright green orb of power enveloped Makoto, lightning spurting out from inside and outside the sphere. It turned white as it collected more electrical energy. She never noticed the bolt heading straight for her, nor the potential danger of Makoto's built-up charge.

She felt the heat of the bolt at her cheek, then hands wrapped around her as the room burst into white-yellow light. Electricity coursed through her lower body, causing her to cry out, before satin wrapped around her. She heard the distinct rustle of a cape and relaxed into the strong embrace. Her head fell back and she could feel Tuxedo Kamen's sardonic smile.

"Haven't you heard," he spoke as the energy dissipated. "Never to back a cat into a corner?"

Tuxedo Kamen tsked when he saw just whom she'd picked to harass. "Really, Ami-chan, Sailor Jupiter no less. I expected you to have more sense."

She ignored his meaningless barb, peering into the steaming room below. They were perched on a high window, his cape wrapped carefully around her. She felt the gentle hum of his energy as he healed the burns on her legs. Her eyes threatened to close, as they did whenever he healed. She blinked sleepily, and then pushed at one of his arms.

"Her wounds are worse," she explained. He smirked and the mask and cape fell away. Mamoru stood and leapt to the ground with Mercury in his arms. She quickly ran to where Jupiter lay on the floor. She was checking the girl's pulse and looking for injuries, ignoring the shocks that issued from Makoto's body, as Mamoru approached the two. He pressed a naked palm to the girl's arm, gently searching for wounds and healing them. His psychometry became a nuisance when he touched the back of her head.

While most would consider the ability to heal a blessing, Mamoru did not always follow this logic. His particular kind of healing involved a better sense. It was one reason he wore gloves as Tuxedo Kamen. He could feel and heal wounds, but also, if the person was unguarded, receive emotions and thoughts. Jupiter being asleep made this ability even easier as there were few barriers in his way. And when he touched the back of her head to heal the growing concussion, he saw the memories of the past millennium before his eyes as they floated through Makoto's subconscious. Though most were too fast for him to properly grasp, he still felt as if he had violated her mind in some way. With a heavy heart, he carried the unconscious girl to the arcade to properly heal her.

"Commander?" Captain Sargeous spoke softly as they marched along the eastern wall of the palace. He stood with his two other companions, captains as well, and fifty of the best trained palace guards behind them. They had all been trained by their commander and trusted her judgment and leadership above all else. However, their constant readiness for war was always laughed upon by the pacifist Moon Kingdom. Now, in the dead of night, they were marching into battle. "What is going on?"

Sailor Jupiter frowned. Maybe she was being paranoid sending a group this large to find out why two guards were missing. The intelligence from Earth, however, made her uneasy. The uprising there could easily spill onto the Moon. Queen Serenity insisted otherwise, but Jupiter could smell a battle in the air. Her body tensed in anticipation.

"You can feel it, can't you?" she answered softly. "There's something changing. The wind is moving." She stepped over the charred bodies of the two guards they had been looking for. Her eyes flashed in the night, looking for the attackers that dared to test her regiment. She would not allow anyone to jeopardize Serenity's safety.

"Halt!" Sailor Jupiter called as a line of writhing youma appeared a few hundred meters ahead. On her cue, the captains and their troops unsheathed their swords, all emotion gone from their faces. They were fighting for real this time. Their ears perked for orders as their eyes strain against the darkness, trying to catch a glimpse of the shadowy youma that faded into the void of space. They tried to ignore the smelled of burnt flesh at their feet. A man stepped out from the wall of youma and approached them. His boots scraped across the dusty surface, scratching their ears with the harsh sound.

"You are in violation of the thrown of Her Majesty Queen Serenity," Jupiter announced, standing tall.

He gave no answer, simply stopping a meter before her, his hands in the pockets of his navy uniform. "If you do not advance, this act of aggression will be forgiven. If you come any closer, we will send you to your grave."

"Forgiveness, you say?" The man scoffed. His hand swiped the red curls from his eyes. "Forgiveness is for the weak." His hand pulsed green as an electric bolt went flying through the air. Jupiter quickly nullified his attack with her own. Sparks flew where their powers met, lighting up the night. In the flare, the crest on his uniform winked at her.

"Why is the Earth attacking us? What do you have to gain?"

"Maybe because we are tired of being pawns."

"The Moon Kingdom has always watched over you and guided you."

"Spied, you mean. As far as guidance is concerned, well, you're not going to say no to someone when they're holding a knife to your back."

"You are full of lies," she growled. "The Queen wants nothing but peace and unity for the universe."

"If you wanted unity, why did you take Endymion from us?" he growled.

"Endymion?" Jupiter was confused. "Who is Endymion?"

He smirked, mistaking her confusion for an act. He decided to play her little game. The general could easily pry the information from her half-dead body. "You think you're so noble," he chastised her; "you're not protecting anything. You just want in on a good fight.

"Where would a world filled with harmony leave you? People like us can't thrive on peace."

"We are not the same."

He placed his feet apart, sitting back on his weight. His hands came up as he smiled wickedly at her. "I will prove to you just how similar we are."

"Flank the others," she whispered to her captains. "He is mine."

She flew at him, her fists lighting with electricity as she charged through the dark night. His eyes mirrored hers; just as bloodthirsty and intent on destruction. With a flourish of his hands, he sent a pulse of energy through the air. Jupiter went flying but easily regained her footing.

"Not bad," he admitted. He brandished a steel bo, taller than himself, before rushing toward her. The staff glowed green as he infused it with his power. Jupiter jumped as he tried to knock out her legs. She blocked an attack with her arm and felt his crackling energy flowing through her body, searing her skin and organs. She fell to the ground when he pulled away the bo. She shook off the shock, barely rolling out of the way of another of his attacks. Jupiter wasn't aware of the smile upon her face.

She began attacking him once again, her body covered in her own electricity. Her skin was shielded by a thick layer of bright green energy. His weapon struck her and she reflected his electric shock. As they swung and dodged her aura grew brighter, lighting up the landscape and castle wall near them. She continued to block and kick at him as he fended off her attacks. All the while, a triumphant smile was on her face. He made a swing at her legs and she disappeared.

"What?" His blind eyes blinked. She had been glowing so brightly that when she turned off her electric aura he couldn't see anything. Suddenly, his shoulder was wretched behind him and he was lifted a meter off of his feet. She stood behind him, shocking him with her touch as she twisted his shoulder in its socket. Her finger dug into his skin from her tight grasp. He couldn't move underneath her grip lest he dislocate his shoulder.

He chuckled at her. "Are you through having fun already?" He smiled at her confused face. "You were smiling. You can't tell me you weren't enjoying yourself."

"Leave now. Spare your life," she growled, trying to ignore his words. She was different from him. She was protecting the princess. She had worked all her life to train troops to defend her charge. But even still, she could not deny the rush she had from winning to him.

"I will not be the one needing to beg for my life." He leaned forward, his feet barely touching the ground as he sent a wave of energy into her stomach. She held fast, jerking his shoulder from the socket, frying the tendons and ligaments with her lightning. He screamed as his vision glowed with her green aura, the pain nearly overwhelming him.

Frantically, he swirled around, clutching the front of her fuku. His sudden burst of speed surprised her and she didn't have time to respond before he sent a blast of electrifying energy through her body. His power burned her, flowing through every pore, and causing her body to thrash about. He was more powerful and experienced than her. But she would never give up. Her hand flicked at her side as she absorbed his attack. Electricity gathered in her hand as she redirected his energy. Before she lost consciousness, she clenched her hand and sent the fist of energy into his temple. Her body fell limp to the ground. He lay in front of her, face down.

His hand pressed into the moon's surface and a few hundred meters away the ground erupted. A woman's scream echoed over the vast landscape. The general turned to Sailor Jupiter and smiled. "You could not save her."

A disoriented Makoto came back to the world two hours later. She looked around the sterile room she was in, seeing the normal hospital paraphernalia. She still had on her clothes, which she thought was odd. And the bed seemed much more comfortable since that last time she'd been in a hospital. With a groan, she pressed a hand to her eyes, blocking out the horrifically bright fluorescent lights. Her head hurt slightly and her upper arm felt stiff. With a huff, she went about picking herself up off the bed.

"Well, it's good to see that you're awake," a blue-haired girl spoke with a small smile. "We were worried about you for a moment there."

Makoto looked at the hazy girl, feeling as if she should know her. And then the years of memories pounded into her skull. Aside from a rather large headache, her eyes suddenly cleared and with a joy unsurpassed by many, she squealed and ran at the girl before her. Her arms wrapped around the small teen, spinning her around in a tight embrace. She plopped Ami back down on the ground. The girl idly rubbed her arms where the tall teen had bruised her soft skin. Ami smiled; glad to have her fellow protector with her.

"I see our patient is awake," a deep voice spoke, slipping through the swinging door.

"Who are you?" Makoto eyed the dark-haired man suspiciously. He had a good number of centimeters on her, but she puffed out her chest to prove she was not intimidated by his intense stare.

Ami cleared her throat, gaining the brunette's attention. "Mako-chan, this is Mamoru-san."

Makoto crossed her arms. "What is he doing here?"

"He built this facility, Mako-chan. We are guests here."

The brunette blushed before her face turned serious again. "Who _is_ he then? He obviously knows about us."

"Chiba Mamoru," he answered for himself.

Motoki popped into the room, drying his hand on a towel. "He's the freaking king of Earth—literally," he grunted, trying to dispel the tense atmosphere.

Of course, the moment he spoke her flashing green eyes were glaring into his. He could almost feel the sudden spark of agitation around her. "And who are you?" Her eyes narrowed in on him.

"Don't kill me, I just work here," he said, holding up his towel as a sort of barrier. _More like enticing a bull_, he decided when she continued to glower at him. He thought she was going to rip his arm off with a simple look.

"Please don't make this difficult. We're trying to work together in order to protect Serenity."

"Protect Serenity?" Jupiter fumed at Mamoru. Her body tensed and one of the closer monitors began to short circuit. "You were the ones who attacked us! You expect me to believe the Earth is actually concerned with Serenity's well-being? You'll probably kill her the minute our backs are turned."

In seconds Mamoru was within millimeters of Makoto's face, their chests pressed against one another. The electricity swarming around the girl did not affect him at all. Their intense eyes faced off, challenging one another silently. Her clothing disappeared before her tanned skin was slowly wrapped in bolts of green-edged, white lighting, and her fuku materialized around her. "Why am I supposed to trust you?"

A very low, very soft growl came from Mamoru's throat. He could do nothing to dispel the vision of Serenity's bloody body suspended over his own as he slowly died. He could almost taste the copper of their mixed lifeblood upon his lips. Her sin wrapped around his sword, her tainted blood dripping over his soul and sealing him to her everlastingly. He could never forget his death that night. "I did not order the aggression against the Moon," he spoke carefully, broking no argument. His eyes were haunted by the vision of those final moments. "The Dark Kingdom waged war against the Moon; we did not."

He was quiet once again before he swallowed and added, barely at a whisper, "I tried the hardest I could to save her."

The raw guilt in his gaze penetrated Makoto's hard exterior. Mamoru backed off a bit as her eyes softened. She glanced at the floor before looking to the room's other occupants. She blushed as Motoki continued to hold his towel to his bleeding nose. She had completely forgotten that she had been momentarily naked. Makoto visibly relaxed, nodding slightly to herself. She crossed her arms over her large chest before addressing Ami.

"Do you trust them?"

Ami's mouth thinned, but she resolutely nodded. "Absolutely; with her life and mine."

She fixed Mamoru with a calculating gaze. "Do you plan to save the world?"

"If it is the world that needs saving," he answered confidently. Makoto seemed to take this answer agreeably for the time being and extended her hand. A hearty handshake later and the group was settled.


	5. Hino Rei

Here's the next chapter and is it filled with plot happiness. This one's longer than the others but there's so much to say that it needs to be. Everyone say hello to Rei as she makes her appearance! Maybe she'll know more about what's going on? Most likely, she'll just add more depth :D

So what does everyone think of the new summary? I couldn't find the one I wanted at first (which is the one that's posted now) so I was stealing lines from different chapters. Did anyone even notice:P

Shamless review happiness:

**Pallas**: Thank you for the wonderful commentary :D I'm glad you're enjoying the layout of the story and my wonderful writing skills (haha). But I agree with you whole-heartedly that the senshi's powers would leak into their civilian forms. I mean, c'mon, it just makes sense. :P I'm glad that I did it believably. You'll be seeing a lot more powers being brought in as the last two senshi show up. After all, Mars and Venus are the psychics. :D And Mamoru is going to pwn major face in a little while. (The Mamoru I write is always a strong character.)

**Miyazawa**: Thank you thank you. bow But you haven't seen nothing yet :D Drama is my wench.

**Midnight**: Actually, in a strange way, this story is all about Usagi. The girls are all protecting her, Mamoru's got some kind of devotion to her, and the Dark Kingdom is after her :P However, she's not a main character. (bathes in the Faulkneresque goodness)

**Ummster**: Not sure if this chapter is going to shed any light on where this story is going :P But, if nothing else, it has Mamoru :D

**Merangel**: Hmmm, this one is long, but not epic. I'm looking at about 18 (?) or so chapters including a prologue and epilogue. But at roughly 10-12 pages a chapter, it's really not that bad.

**Kire**: ooo-kukukukuku. Man did you hit the nail on the head! Unfortunately you've got a few chapters to go to find out how that one's going to play out :D

Let me know if y'all liked this chapter and where the story's headed (which isn't really very clear right now :P)  
Enjoy and review!

- Lillie Bell  
(next update: 18 August 2007)_  
_

* * *

_Absolution:  
Hino Rei_

In the dark of night, a figure quietly moved through the hallway. Bare feet pressed silently into the age old wooden floors. A short, white kimono caught the light of the moon as the priestess made her way through the temple. Her fingers were clenched, her mouth a thin line, and her eyes soft with confusion. The only sound to fill the spring night was the gentle swish of the door when she pushed her way into the room of the sacred fire.

"_God of Fire,__" _she breathed softly. She stepped onto the straw mats, breathing in the aroma of cinder and ash. The familiar scent brought waves of comfort to her disquieted soul. She quickly knelt, closing the door behind her before approaching the fire.

In the flickering blaze, her maroon eyes turned a soft rose color. Her black hair fanned around her, turning an iridescent lilac by the flame light as the white kimono spread across her thighs to allow her to kneel. Her fingers laced together as she began to meditate. The flame's heat licked her skin in a pleasant, rolling caress.

Her soul was restless, as it had been on a night a few months ago. Inwardly, she knew something was happening to her world and herself. The sudden outcry of her soul that night had convinced her. There was something going on in Tokyo and she felt responsible. A dark sense of foreboding rose in her chest, shortening her breath. She clamped down the unease in her body, trying to gain peace in order to consult the dancing flame.

That afternoon, a strange electrical storm had occurred in the industrial side of the city. The tangible spark in the air ignited a long dormant part of her soul. A sudden freezing of her limbs had had the same effect a few months ago. Something was awakening in her body, answering a call only her sensitive psyche could hear. Tonight, she was determined to find the source of the cry that would not allow her soul respite.

Her black hair flared in the heated currents caused by the flame, her bare legs chafing against the straw matting. She had been so startled from her slumber she had only pulled on the short kimono and forgotten the red bottom of her robes. She could taste a mix of jasmine and myrrh, the fire's sweet odor, in the air around her. As she fell into a trance, however, even these sensations washed away.

In her mind's eye, she could feel her fingers running through different poses as she spoke the words that followed them. As she slipped deeper into her trance, the shape and feel of her body fell from her consciousness until all she knew was cinder and ash. She united with the dancing, soothing heat before being cast out in search of the truth.

Tonight, she would answer her soul's query.

Sailor Mercury and Jupiter jumped away from the man before them when he suddenly fell to one knee. He held the wooden pole in a white grip as he felt his emptiness echo. And then he felt the sensation of someone possessing him. He could feel the surprise of the one who took hold of him. Mamoru quickly tried to seal off the intruder, trying to hide his most precious secret.

_Where is your soul?_

He closed his eyes to her voice. He could feel her detachment and knew she herself was a wandering psyche, and his being a soulless body had quickly snatched her from her night's journey. She barely filled the void within him, he realized, before renewing his attempts to dislodge her.

Mamoru pressed a hand to his chest. He had sworn he was better protected. He had a few ghostly possessions when he was younger from the wandering dead that had yet found their way. He had been certain that he had put up enough guards to protect him from further intrusion. This possession could not have been accidental. To add more confusion, her voice was terribly familiar.

With careful steps, he followed the psychic path of the soul inside of him. Spicy cinders assaulted his nostrils. His body temperature rose as he felt a flame tickling his arms and chest in flirtatious waves. At her core, he felt the same flame flickering in an immortal dance. He could sense the young woman transfixed, as surprised as he was. His blue eyes opened as he gasped. _Mars._

The girl recoiled at this name and the streaking images before her psyche's eyes. Distantly, she understood them to be the man's memories. Just as he could feel her body, she could feel all of his—especially the hollowness of his soul. Before now, she had thought it impossible to survive without a soul. However, it was not this revelation that had made her stumble in her mental journey and given him the ability to send her back into her own body.

The name had enflamed the discord in her soul. It bubbled to the surface once more. She sat motionless, her eyes fogged and unseeing. The fire purred as her soul began to turn over and flare in the same rhythm as the flames before her. They synchronized and she felt the sudden sweep of memories about to overtake her. Before that was possible, the fire burned a deep crimson and turned black.

Her sightless eyes and open soul suddenly hiccupped as the fire became poisoned, that same impurity pouring into her soul. As her eyes began to focus once again and her spirit fought against the pressing evil, a pair of dark clothed arms shot from the flames. Callous fingers wrapped around her neck, constricting her wind pipe. She ignored the burning in her throat and lungs, focused upon the eyes staring at her from within the dark flames.

"_You_," she hissed as the fingers pressed hard against her. She knew she would have welts in the morning if she survived. Though all she could see were his malicious hazel eyes, she recognized the evil that had followed her to this life. He continued to barrage her, enjoying the pain pressing upon her body and soul, knowing soon she would succumb to death.

The priestess clawed at the hands at her neck as her soul continued to battle the impurity he had planted within it. Both actions were futile. He had poisoned her flame, that same flame which burned inside of her. Ironically, he had only been able to connect to her soul through her intrusion into Endymion's soul. That he was still connected to his prince, even after a thousand years, had been quite a surprise for the youngest general. And that such an enlivened link could allow him to take the life of his companion senshi delighted him immensely.

He began to pull her into the blackened fire, searing her mental core and physical body. She pressed her feet into the mats, but he easily pulsed a wave of evil into her. She was quickly immobilized and helpless to watch herself being taken into the flames that would seal her, body and soul, in their black embrace. A death without salvation, redemption, or reincarnation, awaited her. A true death as any there ever was.

_Jadeite, even in this life you seek betray me? _her half-memory cried.Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes as she closed them, awaiting her death.

Yet, as she was a hair's breadth from the flame and his eyes were dancing in sinister glee, a golden wave shot through the blackened inferno. With a gasp, the girl was deposited on the floor. The sacred flame leapt high to the ceiling, a deep wave of smoke issuing from it. Covering her mouth, the priestess opened the sliding door and the smoke billowed out into the night air. She shivered, feeling the evil dispersed into the late night darkness on the plume. A strong breeze guided it high into the sky where it could do little harm.

Pressing a hand to her throat, wheezing at its soreness, she turned her red eyes to the golden flame. Soon, the flame fell back to a red-orange color and its normal height. The pressure upon her soul instantly lifted as the sacred fire was purified by foreign hands. Then she realized the familiarity of the energy. Her eyes widened as she recognized the source of the power: it was from the man she had momentarily possessed.

With acutely sore muscles and mindsight, she made her way to her bedroom. There was no evidence of the man who had nearly killed her, only an embedded sense of rage and humiliation. Somehow, she felt as if this was not her first encounter with the two men. Yet, as her limbs shook with fatigue, she conceded herself to the exhaustion of her body. She would analyze the encounter tomorrow. Now was the time for healing.

She made herself tea to soothe her throat and rubbed salve upon the bruises on her heated skin. As she climbed into bed, a host of shattered memories burned across her mind. None were complete, or even clear. Her fogged, half-awakened mind tried to secure some understanding though none could be made. She fell into a restless sleep filled with dreams that demanded her to remember a duty and a princess lost to her mind, but never to her heart, and the man who had prevented her from doing so. When she woke that morning, she jumped out of bed in fright at the splintered memory of those hazel eyes and death pressing upon her aching body.

"Mamoru."

He held up a hand, halting the girls' progression. His body had obviously relaxed from whatever demons he had been battling. They could feel the touch of the near awakening of one of their sisters and knew somehow it was linked to the sudden golden glow the man had taken on. He pulled his body from its kneeling position, his face sweaty and pale though his eyes were hard.

"Mars will be coming soon," he said simply. He took the time to allow his breathing to settle back into a steady pace. His cold blue eyes met their scrutinizing gazes. "You should visit the temple tomorrow."

He turned and left, pressing his hand against his chest. The vacant chamber ached from channeling the Earth's power without the proper vessel. Without his soul, the true essence of the golden crystal, he was unable to use his full powers. Yet, the awakening of those powers would spell immeasurable pain for Usagi as his soul was separated from her own. Replacing his soul would also awaken her memories of him as Endymion, which was his greatest fear. Once again, he could feel the emptiness of his decision consume him. _Could he ever afford to be whole?_

Motoki, devoid of humor for once, followed the younger teen to see if he needed any medical attention.

Among the dark ruins of the Moon Kingdom, a blond man seethed as the last vestiges of golden energy dissipated. The heat his body produced vaporized the cold air and lines of steam rolled off of his body. His skull hurt from the pressure of clenching his teeth as his heart pounded into his temples. He didn't acknowledge the two men who materialized behind him.

They stared at his back, the navy uniform nearly erasing him against the background of stars and infinite space. They could sense a distant energy within their comrade, but nothing else to evidence his rigid posture.

"Brother," one of the men said, attempting to call the blond back to reality.

He turned to bring the two men into his line of vision. The light sheen of tears was lost to them at their distance, but the pain within those hazel eyes was nearly tangible. "Endymion is alive," he stated softly.

He was answered by their gasps. He beheld the Earth behind his comrades. The lush green planet which had exiled them so long ago now housed the senshi and their prince. His fist clenched in rage, his eyes burning red with a familiar flame, as he remembered the golden energy that rose to save the fledgling senshi of Mars.

_Endymion had betrayed them once again._

"Is he normally like that?" Makoto asked Ami in the shade of the cherry tree during lunch. The tall teen sat reclined against the bark with her long legs stretched in front of her in the grass, a half eaten lunch in her lap. Ami had her calves tucked primly beneath her, kneeling as she gently picked at another item in her lunch. Bringing a bit of rice to her mouth, she shook her head and frowned.

"No, something strange happened last night." She watched her companion out of the corner of her eye. "You still don't trust him, do you?"

A sneer leapt to the brunette's face, before it fell away as Usagi hopped happily between different groups of friends. Their princess was so innocent now, completely oblivious to the powers that called for her destruction. She did not even know the danger she was in. The whole thing set funny in Makoto's stomach and hardened her resolve to protect the small girl.

"How do you know that he wasn't the one to kill her?" Makoto answered in a voice that was all steel.

Ami looked at her, surprised. The genius had never thought to question Mamoru, perhaps because of the way he would turn stoic at the mention of Usagi. Her blue eyes became soft in contemplation, her hair falling over her forehead. Neither of them knew of Serenity's death; they had not survived long enough to save the princess from her ultimate end. When the girl spoke it was a whisper. "Do you think we failed her?"

Makoto's mouth set in a thin line, unnerved by seeing the normally confident senshi of ice so uncertain of herself. Her olive eyes followed her friend's to the bobbing blonde head a few meters away. Comparing Usagi's rambunctious, smiling nature to the cold, unwelcome attitude of their princess was impossible. So many things had changed that nothing was certain any more. "I don't know, Ami."

Ami blew out the breath she had been holding. The confident, stoic resolve of Mercury fell into place. _The past could not repeat itself._ "Never again," she vowed. She could feel more than see the brunette give a curt nod.

A small smile made its way to her face. "I think Mamoru-san has the same goal."

Makoto grunted. "He is different from us. There is something about him that is unnatural."

"He is tied to Serenity somehow; it is expected that he be an enigma as well." She pressed a prim finger to her cheek. "They could have been lovers."

"Ami-chan," she scoffed. "I would never have taken you to be the one spouting on about true love and romance." The two laughed, the scholar covering the faint blush against her cheeks. Makoto's eyes changed a bit and she felt a question push past her lips before her mind could reel it back. "Did you know of him?"

Ami sighed, shaking her head. "Not until that last night, when I saw them in the library."

Makoto nibbled a bit on her chopstick. "How long had Serenity been hiding their acquaintance from us—from everyone?"

"Do you think _they_ knew?"

The tall teen sighed, tucking an arm underneath her head as her chopsticks lay in her lunchbox. She looked up at the winking sun through the canopy above them. Ami shuffled a bit as Usagi came back to sit with them. The girl quickly pounced upon Makoto's lunch and finished it off in under a minute. The blonde smiled and turned to Ami as the brunette drifted off in her own world. Her eyes stared into the tree wondering if the missing members of their group had known. It wasn't totally absurd as the last two of their groups were the psychics. Makoto and Ami had instinctive, battle honed senses but nothing compared to the intuitive knowledge of Mars or Venus. If any in their group had known, it would have been those two.

_If the others had known, would they have told them?_

She barely heard the commotion of returning to class until Ami was at her elbow, prodding her from her thoughts. With a heavy sigh, she grabbed her belongings and made her way inside, Usagi unknowingly cocooned between them. She watched the blonde out of the corner of her eye, taking in the excitement radiating off the girl as she animatedly spoke with Ami. She could not shake her troublesome thoughts.

_Had they believed a lover would make Serenity smile again…even as the prince of Earth plotted her death?_

"Usagi?"

The blonde spun, walking backwards with ease, as her hair fanned out around her. She giggled, flushed with excitement. Her arm was strapped through Yumi's, a small black-haired girl. "Will you come to the shrine with us? They are selling good luck charms."

Yumi bubbled with Usagi's same enthusiasm. "For this next test, we may need all the help we can get."

The blonde nodded in approval and the duo spun back around narrowly missing crashing into a light pole.

Makoto smirked. "They need more luck walking."

Ami chuckled as they stopped and waited to cross the road. When they were given the signal, the troop continued their journey. The girl touched a finger to her chin, thinking.

"Mako-chan?" When the tall teen looked at her, Ami continued. "Didn't Mamoru say something about the temple?"

Makoto surveyed the sky. "Mmm. But how many temples are there in Tokyo?"

Ami sighed, nodding. She turned her gaze upon the duo in front of them. Yumi had her face near Usagi's ear, whispering. Ami strained to hear their conversation.

"Maybe you can pray for some luck with that friend of yours?" When Usagi sent her an uncomfortable look, which the dark-haired girl took as confusion, Yumi continued. "You know, that family friend you seem to be having such a hard time with. I'm sure if you ask the gods for wisdom then you'll get it."

Usagi blew at her bangs. "They can't help, Yumi-chan." A small frown marred her normally vivacious features. "He's changed and has his own life now. He has made that clear enough," she said softly.

A blue eyebrow raised behind the two. Ami knew nothing of Usagi having any male friends. There were guys at school who tried to vie for her attentions, but the blonde never thought of them as more than friends. She blinked realizing her princess shunned the male population. Not that she had any interest in the opposite sex, she had greater priorities, but Usagi was free to date as she pleased._Was something holding Usagi back?_

The prickle of claws surprised her, and she let out a little shout as an arm instinctively made to shoo off whatever had landed on her shoulder. Before doing harm, though, she noticed the flashing of blue eyes and a slick black body.

"Luna!" Usagi shrieked, afraid her kitten had attacked her friend. Ami just smiled away her surprise, waving away the blonde's fingers and stroked the soft fur covering her shoulder. The small hairs tickled her neck and jaw line as Luna turned her serious face on the trailing senshi.

"Did Mamoru send you?" Makoto asked in disgust. "Is there anything that we do that he doesn't know about?"

Ami clucked at her companion's ire, but it was Luna who answered in a hushed voice. "I felt the disturbance last night. The intensity has grown in the last ten minutes, so I decided to find out what was going on." She frowned, sensing with every step they took an increase in the ominous feeling that echoed from her gut. Instinctively, her eyes fell on the blonde princess in front of her. The uneasy feeling festered and she felt the hairs on her back slowly standing on end. A cool hand slipped through the raised hairs, stamping down the fear rising in the feline.

"We will protect her, Luna." An agreeing grunt came from the brunette. Luna took in the rigid form of Makoto marching on the other side of Ami. She slowly relaxed. Though the princess did not have her entire guard, these two were strong and willing to give everything to protect her. These two would not let her down.

The group climbed the stairs of the Hikawa Shrine with little complaint. Usagi joked momentarily about the walk being physical training to ready her mind for their test. The two laughed, oblivious to the stoic faces behind them. As they grew nearer to the summit, the edginess of the atmosphere took its toll on the two senshi. Even with their lesser psychic abilities, they could feel the tension in the air around the temple. They moved closer to Usagi, flanking her and Yumi on each side once they were at the top. The air seemed to spark slightly and grow cold as the two stood anxiously next to their princess.

Yumi snuck off to join the line of charm buyers. Usagi approached the twisted red and white rope. She bowed, clapped, and rang the bell before bowing once again. Her blue eyes took on a melancholic tint for a moment, changing the sky blue depths to a muted, stormy grey. In that moment, the two senshi saw the common visage of their disgruntled princess within her incarnation. They both hid their gasps and before anything could be said Usagi was smiling once again and running off to join Yumi.

A white and red figure suddenly moved in front of the blonde. A hand shot into the white kimono and pulled out an ofuda. With a cry, the parchment was tapped onto Usagi's forehead. A shock ran through her body before it went limp and she collapsed.

Rei stared at the unconscious girl at her feet. Sweat poured down her cheeks. The ominous aura around the temple had not been dispelled. She cursed her misguided intuition as a tall shadow cast her in a cooling shade. A tall brunette loomed over her, arms crossed over a plentiful chest. Her olive eyes glinted steel as well as swift punishment for the fledgling priestess. A blue-haired girl joined the tall teen, her eyes just as cold yet kindled with familiarity.

Rei could feel the barely withheld power of these two girls. Yet, they did not evoke fear in her; instead, it was a feeling of equality. She forced her face into a neutral façade as she bent towards the blonde. She took her time looking over the girl, wondering how she was so important to be closely guarded by the two teens. The glares directed at her burned her ears, but she held her position above the unconscious blonde.

"One of the rooms would be ideal for her to lie in until she wakes up," she said simply, not bothering to acknowledge them. Long arms came into her vision and the tall teen pulled the blonde into an embrace. Rei stood and led the two around the side of the temple.

"You must forgive me," she spoke in a soft alto as the tall girl placed Usagi upon a mat. "My intuition has been a bit off-kilter since last night. I felt a strong power and thought it to be an evil spirit." In her mind's eye, at the moment Usagi was passing, all she had seen was that black flame and those callous hands from the previous night. Hence, she had reacted by attacking that frightful image only to find a simple school girl had caused her to mix reality and blurred memories. Unconsciously, she pressed her fingers into the purple tones on her skin. Her throat was still raw from when he had crushed it in his tight grip. A shudder ran down her spine, remembering the piercing pain he had inflicted upon her soul.

The two girls watched the black-haired priestess. Her faint shivering did not go unnoticed, but neither spoke a word. It was obvious the Martian senshi was remembering a horrible event, most likely a shadow of what had occurred the previous night. Ami moved to put her hand on the girl's arm, but the priestess composed herself before any comfort was needed. Rei laid the two girls with a level, curious gaze. Her rose-colored eyes danced with challenge.

"Why do you protect her?"

She felt their auras flare at the inquiry, just as they had outside. She had not been blind to their strength. They had leaked out their powers trying to pin-point the object of their distress. She almost laughed at the irony, as she had been trying to accomplish this same deed the entire day. Her grandfather, upon seeing her disheveled state, had forbid her from school. Thus, she was free to wander the grounds and explore the many feelings surfacing within her.

She had slept restlessly, not truly dreaming or gaining respite. Torn, broken memories passed over her closed lids. They teased and taunted her half-complete mind. She saw blurred images, felt foreign emotions and fears, and tasted a betrayal upon her lips. Her heart burned for no reason, and a terrible headache sat between her temples. She was tormented throughout the night, only to wake in the day to the same feeling of discord. Her soul felt as though it were being ripped in two, caught between her present and previous life.

With the presence of these two girls, she felt a harmony play through her soul. She knew somehow that they would solve the unanswered call of her spirit. They would guide her to completion. She nearly yelped in triumph; she would be fulfilled soon. Her soul would finally be whole and with purpose. The pain in her chest would be laid to rest.

The celebration was premature, however, as the vile aura around the temple suddenly amplified. The sleek cat fell from Ami's shoulder and took guard at the blonde's side. Her back arched, hairs standing on end, and ears flattening against her skull. Small canines protruded from her parted gums. The two girls felt the presence, also, and stood. Rei frowned, her throat tightening in remembrance, as she recognized the energy coursing around them.

_He has come to finish what he started._

She stood, preparing to open the door, when a steely grip on her shoulder stopped her. The tall brunette, now in a short green fuku, shook her head. She pushed the black-haired girl away from the door. Rei floundered and fell unceremoniously on her bottom.

"He has come for me. I will not run from him."

Sailor Jupiter ignored the priestess' stubborn air. The air cooled around them and another transformation took place next to her. She turned to see the other teen sporting a similar blue fuku. Something within her soul awakened at the sight of these two soldiers. She felt as though she should be joining them; a red skirt and purple bow flew through her mindsight as they soundlessly leapt out the door and into the heat of battle.

Her soul began to reverberate to an unsung melody. She could feel her skin rising in temperature directly with the shouts outside the door. As the senshi fought the evil outside, her spirit called for her to join them. She knew her purpose was to be with them. The jolt she felt at the familiar fuku had proven that to her. Rei's heart hardened with resolve, embracing the heat that encased her body. A crimson aura surrounded her as she began to resonate with the power within her. Just as she felt herself at the pinnacle, the memories and answers within her grasp, a callous hand pressed against her mouth. She let out a silent cry as an arm snaked its way around her waist and pulled her against a strong chest. The breath flew from her lips not to return as the arm crushed her diaphragm. Her slender fingers wrapped around the hand against her mouth, desperate to wrench free of the bruising grip.

Her body, burning for air, twisted and turned. She felt darkness creeping into the corner of her eyes and fought it back with all her might. Her teeth clenched as her eyes danced wildly, attempting to look at her attacker. That he would attack her temple and endanger her aging grandfather did not go unnoticed. This was surely the most disgrace he could give her. He was intent on removing every strip of honor she had as his evil aura seeped into her body once more, poisoning her pious system.

Her blood boiled as he continued to leak his energy into her willing body. That he would dare to make her family's shrine impure sent her careening into a near insane rage. This was the place of the gods. She would not allow him to desecrate its holy ground. She would not allow him to soil the grounds. As her anger grew the heat inside her body increased ten-fold. The roaring flame in her ears soon overtook all of her senses. She felt as though she were walking in the flame, dancing in its embers, as the rich smell of cinder assaulted her nostrils.

_She would not allow him to dishonor her in such a way._

The blond man, for his own part, knew well enough when to thrust his fiery prisoner away from him and through the door as she burst into flame. Jadeite watched the woman step from the inferno before him dressed in a red and white fuku. Without opening her eyes, she felt her sisters turn from the dying youma. She smiled at the youngest general. He would pay for his betrayal.

"These are the men who will follow you, Endymion," the Martian King told the boy who barely reached his waist. A quartet of men bowed before them in the assembly hall. Endymion looked to his father to gauge his approval. The Earth King was focused on the smallest boy before them.

"This one, too?" He pointed at Jadeite, much smaller when compared to the others who were five years his senior. "He is younger than Endymion."

"He is our present to the Crown Prince of Earth, since we cannot truly show our ties," the fifteen year old princess spoke. She had been hiding, tucked to the side of the king. She shuffled to the front, her golden red kimono shining in the lanterns hanging throughout the great hall. Her hair glittered with violet highlights.

"Please accept them, cousin," she addressed Endymion directly. "Jadeite is the most fledgling, but he will be your greatest ally, I assure you."

The Earth King sighed, seeing his son acquiescing to the older princess' wish. With his large hand he ruffled the hair of his nine-year old son. He remained skeptical about the youngest shitennou, but could not deny the gift from his distant cousins. Though the Earth and Mars had long ago cut ties, the families were still deeply concerned with one another.

The last night of his life, as the Earth crumbled under the weight of evil, was the only time the king questioned his decision that day.

"Tell me, cousin, what is the Moon like?" a twenty-five year old Endymion asked, perched atop a boulder and trailing his toes through the creek. The cool waters were wonderful in the hot afternoon sun.

"You should know. You have visited once." She leaned down, splashing water on her face. She wore a short tunic with cotton pants underneath. For more than an hour they had been sparring before deciding to lounge by the languid stream.

She looked up at him, but the man seemed like his thoughts were distant. He sensed her watching him and rolled back on the rock. Squinting into the sky, he tried to find the summer moon.

"Do they have seasons? Does it rain? What does the real surface of the Moon look like?"

She turned to him. Endymion had always been a curious child, but the Moon was forbidden for any of Earthly descent. That he had been invited once in his life was an amazing feat. But, of course, she should have known that it would only spark his curiosity. She shrugged and busied herself in answering all his questions.

"Did you feel it?"

"How could I not?" Sailor Mars answered as her feet pounded against the surface of the Moon. The palace continued its decent behind them, but the last two senshi were not watching. Having felt the deaths of their sisters, they were more concerned than ever with the safety of Serenity. The Martian and Venusian princesses quickly split up, hoping to expedite the process of finding their charge.

Once on her own, it was harder to push away the thoughts roaming her mind. The attack had come from an uprising on Earth. Her immediate concern had been for the royal family, but quickly behind that was the taste of betrayal. Though the Earth had never come into the Silver Alliance like the rest of the planets, there were no resentful feelings on either side. She could not begin to understand what had changed.

Sailor Mars spotted two figures she hadn't expected to see. "Kunzite and Jadeite," she said softly. A wave of happiness enveloped her. If they were here, then Endymion was safe. She had no idea what would convince them to come to the Moon for safety, but she did not care. With tears about to fall, she raced toward them.

As she neared them, however, another pair of figures arrived on the battlefield. The soldier nearly fell forward when she saw Serenity and Endymion escaping the falling palace. Her cousin clutched his shoulder as he pulled a bloodied and dazed princess behind him.

The two generals had also seen the royals running across the wasteland. They advanced wielding weapons of evil she had never seen. Jadeite held a blade of flame while Kunzite had a black whip tied to his side. They had already landed two blows. One split the two royals apart, the other impacting Serenity's prone form as Endymion struggled to stand. Sailor Mars quickly flew in to save them.

This man had been the one. The blonde hair and hazel eyes were the same she had promised to Endymion. This man was supposed to protect and cherish his prince, her distant cousin, in her stead. Because she could not be with him to love him as family should, Jadeite was sent. Instead, he had endangered both his prince and her princess. Now, in the future, he had proven his true alliance once again. Though she was unable to stop him in the past, she would not allow him to succeed once again in the present.

"Jadeite," she purred, the flames dancing around her form. He returned her sinister grin with one of his own. He blurred as he rushed toward her, and she quickly held up her hands to guard herself. His first few punches were soft, testing her reaction, before he became serious. She barely had time to dodge his legs and fists, let alone launch her own offensive. A streak of lightning burst the two apart, giving the fire senshi a moment of respite.

The baleful grin he gave them made her breath hitch. A thousand years ago this man had stood before her with the same insufferable simper upon his face. She felt the crumbled moon rock beneath her feet as she faced off with the blond general. She dodged as he charged her in a near perfect reenactment of their previous, fatal battle. Another look at his Cheshire grin and she realized he was purposefully evoking the memory of her death.

With clenched teeth, she thrust the familiar glinting of his eyes from her psyche. She would deal with the shame of her previous defeat later. He parried her fire, moving her to the side, and getting a blow with his elbow into her shoulder blade. She managed to block the move, jumping away and only catching the waves of his energy blast to her front. Memories surfaced as they continued to mimic the battle that had not turned out well for her. This time she was convinced the battle would end differently.

Pressing a hand to her heaving chest, she kept her focus on the man before her. He had not even broken a sweat and truly looked only annoyed at their intrusion. She clenched her fist, ashamed he had caught her unguarded. She was more ashamed, however, to find that he was still stronger than she was.

Mercury landed behind him as the girls moved to surround the Dark Kingdom general. He observed the trio through half-closed lids, his face neutral. He allowed them to circle him for a moment before he sneered. Mars did not have time to call out a warning before his hands glowed red and a ball of fire erupted around him.

Mercury cursed at the burns on her legs, slumping under her own weight as she landed a few meters away. She found Jupiter near her, escaping with blisters upon her arms. The heat licked against their bodies, causing the two to sweat profusely and slink farther away. The stifling air squeezed their lungs, inducing coughing. The ice senshi crawled over to her companion, eyes dashing around for the two lost members of the fight.

Mars suddenly jumped from the middle of the dissipating fireball. She had charged in, easily capable of handling the extreme conditions, convinced she could take Jadeite by surprise. The only surprise she met was a swift uppercut to her jaw. Her teeth rattled and brain blanked as she flew through the air. She shook her head to get her bearings, and realized too late that he was behind her. There was no defense she could give as she felt cold steel slice through her body. The vindictive smile upon his face was all she could see before the pain became overwhelming and she closed her eyes to the world.

Behind her lids and in her mind's eye, she felt a whip of golden energy slice past her. A low groan escaped the man and she felt him lose his grip on her body. She fell through the sky, suspended in consciousness, before a pair of lithe arms grabbed her. Cold fingers pressed into her pained shoulder as she opened her eyes once again. Looking past the concerned faces of her sisters, Mars longed to find who had stopped this man from killing her again. Her red eyes widened in surprise.

_Endymion._


	6. Endymion and Jadeite

Another week down, another juicy chapter updated. There are more things to learn in this one as Mamoru and Jadeite face off! Now you'll get to see into the general's psyche just a bit. :D Or did you forget they were there:P :PNow I must answer my reviewers, who are so valiantly trying to guess what's going to happen next!

Review Incentives:

**Pallas**: Heeheehee, good luck trying to determine where this is going. I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying my Mamoru characterization. I wanted to make him completely different and not the weak Mamoru from the manga. A little more of him will be revealed in this chapter! As for Usagi... hmmm... there's a few more chapters to wait until she becomes a large part of the story. As for being from her POV... that's even more chapters :P :P I don't know about Sailor Moon, though, Serenity wasn't trained as a fighter. But, of course, fate can always have something different in mind for Usagi. (ambiguousness :P)

**Crazy**: Yes, this piece has tons of backstories. I try to keep them in line as they all want to boil to the surface, but sometimes the little ones come through. Good to hear you're enjoying my spin on the first season! It's definitely different so it's good to know it's a 'good' different not a bad 'different'. Hohohoho, Minako's chapter, eh? There's a while for that. We've got a host of four characters I haven't delved into yet (shitennou) and of course Usagi makes a minor appearance. Minako, for all y'all's conspiracy theories, isn't coming for a little while longer. Wonder what she's doing this whole time?

**Ummster**: Heehee, you're getting close. Reread the new summary I put up, that may help you understand why Usagi has the kinzuishou (and if you know the manga plotline.) Yep, Jadeite killed Mars, who had a thing for him. A side story not mentioned here is that Jadeite loved Endymion and when he started to wander away a lot, Jadeite struck up a friendship with Beryl, who was also in love with Endymion. Funky love triangle, and unfortunately it's the biggest reason I won't write a prequel to this story b/c I'll completely ignore Sere/Endy and write about that love triangle. And that just doesn't work for me. Are you more confused now?

**Midnight**: intrigued... sounds good to me :D Hope this chapter keeps you on the edge of your seat!

**Kire**: What are these theories you've come up with? Kukuku, and should I respond to them? Rei's flashbacks are good because they'll explain more of her character later (anyone else noticing her getting entranced by the past?) as well as a bit of Endymion's side of the story, plus that the generals were good guys at one point. And there's the whole Jadeite was her champion thing. Wee for side stories :P Back to Minako, though, I will admit she has no idea what's going on :)

**Bin**: I think I've gotten all of you excited about Minako. After all, none of the other senshi know how Serenity died, so there's a big hole there. Maybe Minako will know? It seems like Mamoru knows what happened, but he's not talking about it :P My guess would be that when Minako shows up, just like in the anime, it's about the time the junk is going to hit the fan... just a thought :)

Ah, but I love all the theories y'all have come up with :) Let me know if this chapter gives you any more!

Enjoy and review (you will get mention and achieve minor superstar status!)

- Lillie Bell  
(next update: 27 Aug 07)_  
_

* * *

_Absolution:  
Endymion and Jadeite_

He stood with his back to her, a long, vicious looking katana in his hand. He crouched before launching into the night after the wayward general. The blades met as the two battled, golden and red energy lighting up the heavens. The earth grumbled with its protector's plight, clouds rolling in and the wind beginning to howl in response to the growing tensions within the older teen.

The blond grunted as his prince came at him again. The fire blade felt heavy and clumsy in his hands as he was used to relying on his fists and legs in battle. The katana was light weight and longer than the old broad sword with which the prince had trained. As they fell to the ground, metal ensnared, the ancient prince finally met the heated gaze of his former comrade.

"Endymion-sama," Jadeite's voice dripped with venom. He gave a push and the dark-haired man stumbled back a bit. Before he approached again the general had time to read the aura around his reincarnated prince. His eyes flashed red as fire popped from under the ground, impeding his adversary's advance. A wind flew up and pressed the flames to the earth just as Mamoru sailed through the air, fist extended. Before blood erupted into his mouth, Jadeite's eyes grew in wonder and not because of the blow about to come to him.

_It was only the Earth protecting him_, he realized._ Endymion was not wielding that golden power himself, which could only mean that his soul, the kinzuishou, had not followed him into this life. But how could a man live without his soul and be as strong as Endymion?_

_There were only two possibilities,_ Jadeite realized._ The Earth had either forsaken Her protector, which was unlikely as She continued to protect him with Her power. Therefore, his soul must be in existence, only housed elsewhere, but near enough to allow him to draw on it. If that was the case, following the thread that bound the generals to Endymion would easily lead him to the whereabouts of the kinzuishou._

He chuckled and spit the hot liquid out of his mouth, wiping the traces of it from his chin. His teeth were stained crimson. They winked beneath his lips as he smiled. Mamoru took a step back, unbalanced by his opponent's change in demeanor. He had expected the general's anger which usually came packaged with a grin that promised immeasurable horrors to its recipient. But the sudden glean across those hazel eyes was not that of a man planning a cruel, painful demise, but one who had learned a vital secret. A cold streak of fear shot up Mamoru's spine as he looked into the malicious eyes of the lesser king, barely able to keep his face neutral. _He knows…_

Jadeite chuckled, a deep hollow sound, as the fire and wind continued to rage around them. "You don't fool me at all," he gruffly stated. He closed his eyes, his body pulsing once, before he moved into a battle stance. His mouth was a thin line, all humor had vanished. _So that is the answer. Serenity has stolen his soul. But to be able to live without his true essence and fight so strongly, this new incarnation was nearer to a god than human._

"Where is your soul, Endymion-sama?" He taunted. He only needed to get close to Endymion to discern the exact location of the kinzuishou and its carrier. "Where is this woman who holds all your power?"

The slight flinch of the man before him was all the evidence the Dark Kingdom general needed. _Did he willingly give away his essence?_ His eyes turned a murderous scarlet as he rushed at the man he had grown to protect and love. _Had he truly given everything? Why hadn't he sacrificed that much for his people, or them? Had they ever meant anything to Endymion? What of their companionship—did it mean nothing to him?_

Jadeite lost his concentration as he revisited the wrongs of the past. The two had been barely a year apart and had been the closest of friends during the reign of the Golden Kingdom. When Endymion had been taken by the princess of the Moon it was Jadeite who was most betrayed by the news. Not only had they lost their future ruler, he had lost his playmate, role model, and charge. The kingdom's hopes were not the only ones resting upon the young prince's shoulders.

"Was it worth it, brother?" Jadeite choked, as he pressed a hand across their entwined swords and over the empty vessel of Mamoru's heart. _The direct route to finding the soul,_ he thought though his mind was still focused on this man's sins._ Follow Endymion's own pull on his soul._ He forced ethereal flames through his palm and into the void of the man before him. The flames burned and followed the vacant cavern and passageways, searching for the absent kinzuishou. The teen groaned as his soul's pathways were singed by the rampant blaze. Mamoru fell to one knee, using all his strength to stay the fiery blade pressing ever closer. His face and arms were burnt by the waves of heat rolling across them, the skin blistering and becoming taut. He could do nothing to protect his most sacred inner sanctum.

"Did you die without any regrets, my prince?" Jadeite's tears evaporated with the heat coming off of his skin and blade. He pushed the fumbling prince away from him before advancing once again. Mamoru's next strike had lost its strength compared to his many others. Jadeite hacked at the man's diminished defenses. _Why had they not come first? Why had he sacrificed himself to save Serenity?_

"Was she worth it? Was she worth the pain of death—the betrayal of your people and friends?" He pushed as Mamoru weakly fended off his emotionally driven attacks. The teen cried out as his lesser king landed a blow to his thigh. His hand made to stop the blood as it soaked into his clothing and trailed down his calf. Jadeite continued his assault, unmoved by the weakened prince. In the wake of his emotions, he had completely forgotten about the kinzuishou. He was more focused on making Endymion pay for his crimes. He lunged forward, driving home words and burning steel: "Was it only the princess you wanted to save? Did you not even think of us?"

Mamoru fell to the ground, katana sliding across the soil, as Jadeite loomed over him. His hazel eyes turned a deep ruby, dancing in an inferno of insanity as he raised his flame sword above his prince's head. "It'll be okay, Endymion-sama," he spoke softly, almost lovingly, his bangs falling over his eyes. "I will relieve the pain of rebirth and the shame of being unable to fulfill your duties as our prince." His arm swung down, intent on pressing through the skull of his best friend. _I will absolve you of your sins, brother._

Suddenly, a flash of golden energy shot from beneath the ground and impeded his stroke. A mass of vines wrapped around the blazing blade, protecting their prince. The Earth's effort to encourage Her champion was not lost. Mamoru crouched, quickly healing his torn thigh, entwining golden energy with ligaments and tendon, before pulling in a deep breath to invigorate his straining muscles. Luckily, healing did not take much power as he had already drawn too much. If he wasn't careful, the general would find the true location of his soul, or worse, he would cause the awakening of the soul he was desperately trying to save. He needed to finish this fight before she was drawn into it as well. Jadeite jumped as Mamoru made to advance on him.

"I will atone for the disgrace of abandoning my people myself." His blue eyes glinted like steel as he felt his fist connect with Jadeite's stomach. The general's body fell limply forward, his weight settling over Mamoru's shoulder and back. Even in the midst of battle, the teen could feel the thin layer between skin and bone beneath the man's uniform. _Has he not been eating?_ He pulled the small body away from him and slammed it into the ground. _He has chosen his path, just as I have,_ Mamoru reminded himself. _If he chooses to starve, that is his own sacrifice._ He moved toward the general once again. "My sins are mine alone and I will make up for them myself.

"_You_ are my shame, Jadeite. That you could believe that woman over me, and choose to protect a fiend over your prince is despicable. If any will be laid to rest today, it will be your disquieted soul, my friend. I will free you from the anger that keeps you under her control."

A smirk made its way across the general's face as he dodged Mamoru's leg. He slipped in next to the other's ear, their fingers entwined. Their legs wrapped around one another, thighs straining as their hips touched, each fighting for supremacy. Their chests were pressed against one another and their sweaty cheeks fused as their breaths passed across the other's ears in the heat of their battle. "Of the two of us, you are the one under a woman's control. Allow me to free _your_ soul, dear brother."

A cruel chuckle issued from Jadeite's chest and without a warning he shot a large energy blast at the outmost wing of the temple. The small structure fell in on itself before any of the group could get to it. Mamoru, barely visible in the coming night, dove straight into the debris. Though he knew there would be repercussions, he drew greatly upon the power of Earth to save them. A moment later, the girls shielded their eyes to the sudden eruption of golden energy from within the room that had held a peacefully sleeping teenager.

Jadeite felt his heart rip apart as his prince once more ran after the princess without a second thought. He clenched his fist, his resolve returning as his eyes blazed an insane red. His hair billowed in the small air currents caused by the rising heat from his body. The golden energy dissipated to show the teen holding the scratched body of a blonde girl and a small, bleeding cat upon her stomach. He turned to Jadeite. There was not one ounce of forgiveness in Mamoru's body. While Endymion may have at one point loved them, Mamoru could never allow them to live after harming Usagi.

_Enough games_, he promised in the depths of those cobalt eyes that attempted to burn the general within his own flame. He propped Usagi against a boulder near the other girls before flying through the air. _It's time to finish this._

They continued to duel, flashes of fire and golden energy shooting across the sacred grounds of the temple. The senshi were powerless to step in as the two fought within close proximity of one another. There was no way to send an attack into the fray and be certain they would not harm Mamoru as well. Mercury's head was bent over the injured bodies of Mars, Usagi, and Luna. Though the blonde had sustained mostly scrapes, the cat had been less lucky. Looking at the readings from her computer, it was obvious Luna had put up as much of a barrier as possible before the building collapsed upon them. Mercury gently held the small, broken body praying that Mamoru would have the energy to heal them.

Sailor Jupiter watched the battle, standing as a guard before the small group huddled behind a large boulder. Even she had to admit Mamoru's attacks were slowly overpowering Jadeite's. Whether from fatigue or new resolve on Mamoru's end, the teen was beating back the blond. Several tiles were stained crimson, and it looked to be mostly from the Dark Kingdom challenger. The two danced intricate circles around one another. No words were spoken. The only sounds to permeate the still night were grunts as blows landed against feeble bone and skin. Swords forgotten, they attacked in a bitter brawl, fists and legs twisting and connecting and straining to block, fused by vengeance. From what could be seen, Jadeite was moving slower and slower, jerking in impossible directions thanks to powerful thrusts from Mamoru. Soon, a body flew from the sky and into the ground a few meters ahead of them. A small crater was all they could see until the dust cleared and the floundering body of Jadeite came into view.

He struggled to sit up as Mamoru landed before him. He had come upon his katana and held it to Jadeite's throat. Most of his energy gone, Jadeite could no longer evaporate the tears that rolled down his cheeks. His one functioning eye was wide in sudden realization: his best friend was about to kill him. _This is not Endymion,_ he realized as he peered up at Mamoru's face. _There is no remorse. Endymion has truly forsaken us._

"Will it always be her?" he whispered, unable to look his prince in the eye and see the fierce determination and hate present there. He was no longer the prince's guard, the king of the Far East. _He was no longer a shitennou._ He was not the impenetrable force keeping the world from pressing upon his prince's innocent mind. No longer was he a friend, but a traitor in the eyes of this man._ This man could not return his love._ This new version of his prince would not flinch to kill him this time. Mamoru would not regret the blood of his brother on his hands because he had endangered the life of the defenseless princess. He let his tears fall and cool the bruised skin around his cheeks. His voice was barely a whisper.

"Will you always choose her over us?"

Mamoru's hand gripped the hilt, drawing the katana to deliver the punishment for the lesser king's betrayal. He was wretched from his feet, however, when a powerful stroke fell against his steel. He staggered backwards, barely defending against the newcomer, and saw a tall frame silhouetted by curly red hair. Mamoru's mouth dropped open as another blond man stepped out from the night and picked up Jadeite's defeated body.

"Nephrite."

The general glared at the young prince. "You dare lift your hand against your brother, Endymion-sama?" he snarled. He pressed against their swords and Mamoru's body staggered backwards from the strength of the well-rested man. Before he could make it to his feet, they jumped into the night and disappeared among the stars.

"Endymion!" Mars called as the man turned from the group of recovering heroines. He had partially healed the senshi and Luna. He refused to touch the small scratches on Usagi. Ami had wrapped their wounds as Jupiter picked up the still unconscious blonde. Luna was collected in Mercury's arms. They both watched Mars approach the weakened prince.

Rei sighed, letting her transformation fall away as she grabbed the stumbling teen. She blew at her bangs when they fell into her eyes. "You always did try to do everything on your own," she smiled fondly. When he did little but continued away from the shrine she pulled him to a stop. "Endymion—"

"That is not my name," he voiced with quiet sternness. He looked at her meaningfully, even tried to pull himself a little straighter, reaching his full height then slumping back down due to the pain and exhaustion circulating through his body. "Chiba Mamoru," he supplied.

"I suppose that fits."

The man grimaced. "Some champion I've been so far. I left my guard to be taken by the Dark Kingdom."

"The Dark Kingdom only amplifies the natural feelings within people," she stated.

"So, my kings didn't need a reason to turn against me?" he bit out.

She blew at her bangs again, hoisting him up a little higher and slinging his arm around her shoulder to distribute his weight. She tried her best to ignore the small pools of blood dripping after him like breadcrumbs. "No, the shitennou are different. The feeling that you betrayed them is heightened. It hurts them ten times more than it should."

The man almost chuckled, though the action took much of his energy. "And what of their betrayal to me? I certainly don't remember being trained to turn against myself." He sighed, continuing darkly. "They have attacked Usagi and I will protect her with everything I have. I will destroy all who challenge her life. We keep going in this circle; we will _have_ to kill each other one day."

"Is their no forgiveness for their sins?" He shook his head solemnly. She looked into the night, only just realizing that the afternoon had disappeared. For a fleeting moment she wondered how long the battle had taken, and then she focused back to the topic at hand. "You are their judge, then?" He nodded. She leaned in close to him, assuring that they would not be heard.

"And who will judge the sins upon your soul, Endymion?" He looked away from her, unwilling to answer. She knew him better than anyone, and she knew that his actions would weigh upon his soul. _Did Endymion haunt him to the point that Mamoru would sacrifice his morality to prevent the past from repeating?_

"Is there no forgiveness for you either, cousin?"

He abruptly moved out of her embrace and stumbled away. Rei moved to help him home; however, she could no longer ignore the inquiring gazes of her fellow senshi and decided to leave Mamoru alone. Rei watched his slumped form limp down the stairs, hoping he would get home safely.

_No one is capable of judging the lives of others. Endymion, truly you have started a crusade that will only end in suffering._

"What's the deal?" Jupiter cut to the point. She was leaning against the boulder, Usagi cradled across her lap.

"What do you mean?"

"You _knew_ him," Mercury added, looking hurt behind her icy façade.

Rei's eyebrows came together, confused by their behavior. "Endymion?" They both nodded. Her mouth thinned and she looked out at the steps he had just been descending. Her hands went to her hips. "It was a secret my father was intent on keeping. He was afraid that it would jeopardize our position as a peaceful planet within the Silver Millennium.

"Endymion and I were distant cousins. We had grandmothers who were sisters. Even with that much between us, my father was very careful about being associated with Earth. But he was also loyal to his family. It was very hard for him to compromise between the two.

"I had known Endymion since he was nine, when his shitennou came to Mars to train with our military." She smirked. "Endymion's father was such a paranoid man; he kept his son very well protected. Not that it did them much good."

They watched a pained look dance across her face as she remembered the deaths of both her princess and relative.

"You knew about them didn't you?"

Rei didn't even turn as she could easily feel the sparks flying in the air from the irate senshi of thunder. She shook her head, the black tendrils flowing in the night. "No, nothing." _Had Endymion kept such a precious secret from her? But there was nothing that had changed about either of them. Nothing that would imply a secret friendship, or even love._

"Do you think he would kill her?" Jupiter ground out before Mercury could shush her. Mars' back went rigid, but she answered, understanding the source of the question.

"No. Endymion was a kind soul who only had the Earth in mind. Why he protected her, I do not know. How they would have even met, I cannot fathom."

She rubbed her face. "I would never have let it continue if I knew. Serenity-sama had the peace of the entire universe at the fate of her decisions. That kind of power could not be assuaged." _Had Endymion not confided in her knowing she would stop them?_

"One thing is clear," Rei turned to her sisters, walking toward her princess. "Somehow they followed each other to this time. While the cycle of rebirth should have afforded them new life, it is quite curious that they both have been reincarnated at the same time. We live for Serenity, so it is with little question why we have been reborn with her. Endymion, however, must also serve a purpose, either something carried over from the past or something necessary for us to defeat the evil."

She looked at the form of her princess lying in Jupiter's protective embrace. She pressed her fingers against the smooth forehead, free of worry. Her whole hand cupped the girl's cheek, feeling the undercurrents of tremendous power from beneath the fluttering of Usagi's eyelashes. Rei sighed, pulling her long hair behind her back.

"I did not know they knew one another until that night. They were escaping out of the collapsing palace when Jadeite and Kunzite attacked them. I saved them some time, but not before we were facing all of Endymion's shitennou, tainted by Metallia's evil and serving as her generals.

"At some point, Venus entered as well and we were able to push back two of the generals, but when we turned around Endymion and Serenity were gone. I battled Jadeite and Venus fought Kunzite. I assume that the other two we were fighting, who were injured, were battling the two of you previously."

Their silence was answer enough. For a moment she mourned their mutual death at the hands of the Earth's guard. Rei shook her head clear of her morose thoughts. "If it's the same four again, we're going to need to get stronger. They have had a thousand years to train. We need to get to their level as fast as possible to stop the past from happening again."

"We will protect the princess above all else; we cannot fail her this time," Mercury piped up, hardened with resolve.

Jupiter held Usagi tighter as she stood. The unconscious blonde radiated a golden aura lost to the girls. "We will save her and this world that she loves," she agreed.

Rei sighed and surveyed the shrine. Small tufts of fire and debris, as well as the collapsed wing, were scattered around the sacred grounds. Finally, the tension dissipated among the group. The dark-haired priestess produced a nearly genuine smile as she turned to her sisters. "I don't suppose anyone is willing to help me clean up?"


	7. Interlude I: Nephrite and Zoisite

YAY! Another week over and another installment of _Absolution_! I know you're all thrilled :) So, now we get to dive into the generals/shitennou and see what these boys have been doing for 1000 years! Bring on the drama!

A small note about the generals: I'm using a little liberty with the manga/anime concept, so let me explain on thing. Shitennou are Endymion's lesser kings, each in charge of a quadrant of the Golden Kingdom. The generals lead the Dark Kingdom into battle. They are one in the same, but when I say shitennou, I mean how they were w/Endymion, and generals is as part of Metallia's forces. Just so you know and don't get confused (or missed that part in the manga :P)

On another note, I get the feeling this is getting slow, therefore I'm offering up a vote. I'm going to list the next four chapters and either this week, next, or the week after I'll double post (2 chapters!!) So, let me know which set of two you want to see posted! Here's the next four chapter headings:

1) Chapter 7: Usagi's Dreams  
2) Chapter 8: Interlude on the Moon II: Jadeite and Kunzite  
3) Chapter 9: The Aftermath  
4) Chapter 10: Picnic in the Park

I've moved responses to reviews to the bottom of the page. That way you read the chapter and then can read the speculations... but moreso, you can get right to the story:D 

Enjoy and review (and vote!)

- Lillie Bell

(next update: 1 Sept 07... uhm, did we skip August all together? x.x)

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_Absolution:_

_Interlude on the Moon I:  
Nephrite and Zoisite_

Nephrite, second in command of Metallia's surviving forces, stood before the collapsed castle of the Moon Kingdom. The Dark Kingdom had been mostly defeated in that battle one thousand years ago, yet those who had survived were able to rebuild their fallen ranks. He was one of those survivors, and had worked hard for the past millennium to empower Metallia and her forces, and he, like so many others, had lived these thousand years barely ever setting foot inside the dilapidated ruins of the Moon Palace.

For a moment, he felt the residual energy of the palace reject his dark heart and deny him entrance. With scarcely a thought he easily overpowered the weakened barrier. He stepped from the grey, lifeless moon dust onto broken marble tiles, his boots clicking against their marred surfaces. He made his way around fallen columns and chunks of white granite from the fallen walls. Though he traveled along the one standing wall, he felt the vastness of space pressing upon him as he made his way toward his destination within the rubble. Though his life on Earth was a vague memory now, he still found the unfathomable sea of space disturbing. The void, dotted with blazing stars and galaxies, streamed all around them, as dark as their own souls. Sometimes he felt he would drown in the emptiness of it all.

He huffed, stepping onto the fallen ceiling that covered the main hallway. He had always chuckled at himself during those times of despair. He was a general and responsible for the Renewal. He could not afford to be emotional and romantic. He was powerful beyond anything he was a thousand years ago. And yet, at times, all he could do was wish for those times when he was nothing but Endymion-sama's guard; the western king in his lesser glory once more. But that was not the only thing that weighed on his soul. As he blasted away the rubble barring his entrance and the subsequent dust cleared, he stepped into his destination with a heavy heart.

He surveyed the immaculate floor. The general took a moment to study the standing columns, cracked and yet still holding the weight of the ceiling. With less fear of the structure falling upon him, he made his way into the large, empty room. There was no surprise left in him to see this sacred place still intact from within. Even Metallia could not destroy the essence of the Moon's power: the Prayer Room.

Nephrite quickly crossed to the middle of the room where a small triangle poked through the floor. Repressing his evil aura, the spirit of the king of old emerged from within the vessel of his tainted soul. The small spire, in response to the honest request, displayed itself in its true glory. A small _tink_ sounded and suddenly the small triangle shot into the air, pulling a long square of marble from its base. It continued upwards, levels fanning out from the pillar, as silence echoed infinitely throughout the large chamber.

In a few moments stood the Prayer Tower, glistening with the inner power of the Moon. Nephrite took in its spiritual mastery. He could feel the depth of power flowing from the simple pillar. His soul fled back to his body as he felt less inclined to be awed by the power of his enemies. His body quaked as the dark aura spread back through his limbs, his body softly resonating with the life-giving energy. His other soul, which was of the shitennou, emptied into its cage, wrapped carefully in the black ribbons of evil that sustained his life now.

He knew that one of the reasons Metallia pursued the Moon Kingdom had been for the immortality given by the ginzuishou. However, he also knew that it was Metallia's presence within him and his brothers that allowed them to not only survive the attack on the Moon, but live the next thousand years. If he were a vain man, he would have added that he was glad that it was also her power that did not age them beyond the time when they had joined her service. Though he would believe his fellow generals had thanked her for it at least once.

Shaking from his current thoughts, he turned back to his reason for visiting the ancient power here. Unlike Jadeite, who had gained the power to use fire and his psyche when he accepted their queen's energy, Nephrite had been a natural psychic. He peered into the small opening in the ceiling, just above where the Prayer Tower extended, staring at the twinkling lights of space. Before his fall, prior to flooding his body with the evil essence that bound him to Metallia, he had been able to communicate with the stars. It was a month before his reawakening as a general, no longer a king or shitennou, when the stars had suddenly turned mute to his counsel. In hindsight, he realized they had never given him warning of his union with Metallia. They simply left his soul to rot in the witch's poisonous sin.

He growled away his frustration, pushing away the thoughts of betrayal. The stars had abandoned him, Endymion had shown his true colors, and Nephrite was ready once again to put this matter to rest. He no longer knew if the cause was just, only that he had to fight. He had been fighting so long, he didn't question if what he was doing was right or wrong. There was no way for him to tell, nor did the answer matter anymore. He was buried so deep in corruption and held so tightly by Metallia's magic that without it he would die. His path was set, be it one of salvation or damnation. He sighed, bringing his sobering thoughts to light before the tower. He had already so entrenched himself in this blasphemous life that he could do nothing but continue. The stars had known this, possibly, but most likely their betrayal was as instinctual as Endymion's.

_The universe protects her child. Serenity will certainly set our souls free from this evil, if only to deliver us to hell._

Kneeling, the dark general willed the ancient king trapped within his soul to appear once again. This would be the final passage; he would be completely committed after this moment. In his outstretched hands, a soft blue light began to form. An offering, the blue light coalesced into a small orb as the general felt the last of the king's energy pour into his hands. The doubt that had clouded his mind disappeared. The cavity of his soul filled with a deep green liquid that solidified into polished jade. He knew that he was with Metallia fully now. When she died, he would also. And when she bade him, he would answer without hesitation. He was hers.

The light blue orb of his soul traveled from his hands into the tower, carrying his unspoken request. Here, at the strongest magical point in the universe, he gave his true soul as a sacrifice to beseech the stars of one last vision. He needed only one to find his answer and carry on his futile mission.

The tower glowed with the spirit of the western king before it sent its great power into the heavens. A bright streak of silver light lit the room and infinite space beyond, blinding the kneeling general. When he opened his eyes, his heart beating in hope, his eyes fell on the dull glimmer of the stars in the sky. He waited a few tense moments before realization dawned upon his brow. _Nothing._ Even now, they deserted him.

As he was pressing his face into his palms, unsure if he should have expected this result or been disheartened by it, the coalescing of energy behind him caught his attention. He did not move to recognize his brother. His body moved only to breathe as he sat there feeling both the utter despair of his lost soul and the ultimate numbness of his defeat.

"You know they will not answer you," Zoisite said simply. He stood behind the fallen general, one arm at his side, the other curled up with the fingertips of his immaculate white gloves brushing his shoulder. He looked through the ceiling and into the desolate universe that they would soon rule. His fingertips clasped the end of the long train of blonde hair tied behind his head and curling over his shoulder.

The hand at his side moved to his hip as his green eyes rested upon his brother once again. Nephrite's obsession with the stars confused him greatly. He had always accepted that the man was a little off. And with Jadeite gaining those same sensitivities, he had opened his mind to the idea of psychic powers only a minute amount. In his mind, there was no science to it and therefore it was altogether peculiar and foreign. Nature at its own agenda, most likely. Or, if anything else, a list of extraordinary events for which science always made room. Somewhere in the murky grey area between theory and fact, he allowed psychics to dwell. But even in his half-belief of what his brothers could feel, he sometimes wondered if it wasn't a madness within them instead of a true power.

Whether he believed in it or not, he could still see the devastation in the wake of its loss. Jadeite gained where Nephrite had lost. And finally, Nephrite had made the sacrifice complete. He had given to his queen all that was him. Zoisite blew at his rather long bangs, twisting his hair in his fingers for a moment. His fingertips moved to caress the overcoat above his chest. Even through the thick wool coat he could feel the resonating blue gem, a zoisite deposit that had solidified in place of his soul a millennium ago. He knew that Jadeite, too, had given his true soul to gain his powers, putting the king of the Far East to rest. A pale purple stone, a shard of jadeite, lain in the youngest general's breast, and was resonating weakly now as he was in a much damaged state. And even Kunzite, their missing leader, at one time had a solid pink stone within him. Yet, that stone no longer supported the life of the eastern king nor the wayward leader general. Now his soul was as black as his eyes, filled with and animated by Metallia's wicked purpose.

His hand fell from his chest. Despite his analytical mind, Zoisite understood that without a soul there is no life. Hence, when the souls of Endymion's kings left them, Metallia's presence filled that vacant place with a pseudo-soul. The colored liquid filled the empty chambers until it solidified into the stones they now carried. Each gem was a parody of their names, an irony endlessly amusing to their queen.

They gained the title of General once their true essences had left them. Only when the kings were laid to rest were they totally committed to Metallia and her goals. Though Endymion had not properly released them from his service, they were Metallia's suitors now. Neither she nor they would have any other lovers.

Zoisite's soft lips frowned, his effeminate brow pulled down unattractively. He flicked the trails of hair over his shoulder as he walked the few meters separating the two generals. He placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, feeling the motionless body beneath his gloved fingers. He squeezed the soft flesh, giving whatever comfort he could.

In a sympathetic voice, he spoke: "What did you ask?"

The question did not echo in the vacuous void of space around them, but in Nephrite's enclosed brain the reverberations pressed from one end of his mind to the other. He ached for the loss of his true soul, more for the lost counsel of the stars, and even more so for their apparent lack of an answer.

Swallowing the gathering bile down his dry throat, burning his insides until it made its home in his stomach once again, Nephrite pulled himself from the ground. In its own way, the universe had answered his question. What a fool he had been to claim that it didn't matter if the cause was just or not. He ignored the blond standing behind him as he stared beyond the alabaster pillar before him. He crushed his fingers into his palm, regaining the feeling of life around him. He pulled himself from the numbness that had encased him, no longer overwhelmed by the lack of an answer.

His long, curly hair barely moved in the vacuum of space as the man turned to his companion. "How is Jadeite?"

Zoisite sighed, though inwardly happy to have something to talk about to ease the silence that permeated the desolate satellite. He placed a fist on his hip, the other hand dancing back and forth as he orated the grandeur of his medical expertise.

"And," he finally finished in a flourish with both hands flying. "Could you imagine he lost so much blood I had to change gloves? I threw the pair out as no manner of washing was going to save them." He scoffed, fists once more planted on his hips and nose pointed into the air. "Really, I only have so many pairs. After a thousand years, I'm surprised I hadn't run out sooner. I should be able to fabricate them by now, if I truly put my mind to it…"

The dark-haired general tuned out as his brother began to ramble on about synthetic fibers and using the moon's bushes—the only form of life left—to construct more of his precious, pristine gloves. He took a few steps away from Zoisite before walking from the room all-together. As he was trudging up moon dust on his walk back, the general materialized beside him.

Zoisite crossed his arms, his face in a girly pout. "You could at least pretend to be interested. Or at least warn me when you're leaving. I could have stood there for hours and never noticed a difference. Not with you; you never say anything one way or the other."

Zoisite continued to chatter as they walked across the wasteland of the Moon. His silent companion endured his boisterous company, knowing the man was punishing him for leaving him in that place. Even Zoisite tended to have irrational fears of magical places. A small, unnoticeable grin snuck to the corner of the man's mouth. Nephrite had the notion that magical places, where an undeniable collection of astral energy persisted, brought the reality that something else could be at work in the universe to the poor scholar. In those settings, the science and theories would crumble away from him and then Zoisite would be left with nothing but himself. Science, though never denying it, did not embrace the existence of a consciousness of the universe. Things happened because they did, not because they were preordained. Poor Zoisite always seemed to be lost at those sites where energy, not molecules, flowed. In those places, the man faced the possibility that something of greater magnitude was at work. And, if that be the case, the blond general was forced to face his sins. For even intelligence can lead to ignorance, and ignorance led to sins of the worst kind.

For the moment, he entertained the idea of Zoisite stripped of his logic, but the absolute loss made him hate himself. He could not wish his brother that absence. Zoisite was truly nothing but his knowledge. There was a little vanity in the mix, but it was propped up on his intellect. Without his science, Zoisite would be completely and utterly lost. As stripped as Nephrite felt without the stars' counsel, and he wished that loneliness on no one.

Zoisite walked right past him before ceasing his babbling as he abruptly noticed the other general's halt. The blond swung on him, his hands balled at his hips, and ready to send some waspish remark that was in conflict with his emotionless face. Nonplussed by the man's ire, Nephrite continued to watch with slight amusement.

As Zoisite built up his rage and prepared to hiss and spit, the dark-haired man caught him off guard with a serious question.

"What did you give your soul for?"

The silence of their surroundings crept in once again. Zoisite looked away from the searching gaze penetrating him, unconsciously pulling his overcoat around him. The moon was no colder at that moment than any other, but to Zoisite it had suddenly dropped ten degrees. The man closed his eyes and sighed, smiling. "I simply asked to be able to play the piano."

"Why a piano?"

With a hint of passion that Nephrite had never heard the man have, Zoisite answered. "Music is the epitome of the soul, a unique expression of beauty. I could not give my soul to Endymion-sama, so I gave it to music. She was always my second love."

"And now?"

"She is my first, Metallia will be the second." He turned back to the path and Nephrite moved to join him as they continued. "Music, at least," he whispered, his bangs bowed over his head and hiding his misting eyes, "cannot do anything but love its player in return. For without its player it does not exist. Music could never betray my heart."

"Why not art?" Nephrite peered at the shorter man, feeling the need to comfort his companion, yet knowing the wound too deep to be healed. They were all beyond healing.

Zoisite scoffed. "Art, though illustrious, has no need of its maker. Paintings, sculptures, and even writing all are products of the creator. Once they are made they stand on their own. While the artist may be associated with the painting, it is the painting that is given to emotional response.

"Music is different. A player must give life to the music. Therefore, no matter the number, each person to play it becomes the creator of that piece. Music must love the one who plays it; without him it would simply be circles and lines on a page. A dotted eighth note means nothing until it is played with such vivacity that the audience's soul reverberates with the melody. Art can stand alone, but music will always need its performer."

He sighed, turning a shaky smile on his comrade. "I shall play for you sometime. Perhaps it will ease your wounded spirit."

They both knew how cruel a joke it was. No sound carried on the desolate Moon or throughout the expanse of space. While Zoisite could play to his heart's content, there would be no vibration accompanying the movements. There would only be motion and the small _tinks_ of the hammers hitting the strings. The closest reverberations of sound would be him removing and replacing his feet on the pedals. Nephrite cupped Zoisite's shoulder. He had not been the only one foolish enough to give his soul and receive nothing in return. If Zoisite could play his concertos in his mind, perhaps Nephrite could use his common sense to guide his decisions instead of the stars. They would persevere because, by now, there wasn't much else they could do.

_There was no way to ease their tortured souls._

* * *

**Ambiguous answers:**

Continuing on, I will now give not-so-ambiguous responses to reviewers. Even though I looked at the guidelines and no where does it say you can't respond to reviewers directly, I'll take a little precaution (thanks to "whoever" pointed this out... yeah, real ambiguous.) Before I go on a ranting spree about how stupid it is to make me do this (like you can't go read the reviews for last chapter and find out who I am responding to... x.x)... I'm going to answer reviews instead :D

a) "Someone" mentioned Kunzite. And before he showed up, no less. I guess y'all have been taking roll call and noticed his absence. Well, he gets a mention here, but as you can see, he's got a name in an upcoming chapter. Doesn't mean he will or won't be in it. But there's a possibility. Kunzite, like Minako, is a little special ;)

Also, concerning how I said Jadeite was in love with Endymion. All the shitennou love Endymion in different ways. I would say Jadeite's borders on obsession, but I'm not taking it past that so don't worry :) I had the make them a little more than platonic love because then it wouldn't be so tragic. Nor would they be so devastated by Serenity taking Endymion to rise against them. So, yes, brotherly/obsessive love, but nothing that will make you feel dirty. I don't mind yaoi, but I'm not much into writing it myself. This fic will stay clean :D

Heehee, Usagi is rather clueless to the girls protecting her so much. that changes in "The Aftermath". When did responding to reviews become campaigning for chapters:P

b) I guess I'm still directly responding to posts, just not putting in people's names as I'm assuming it's a privacy issue (hello, anon reviewing? x.x) Anyway, "whoever" thinks that Usagi remembers the past is wrong--she hasn't a clue :) However, she does have an old family friend. Two in fact. But that's after "Picnic" so there's a few more weeks on that one. grins evilly More time spent sitting on the edge of your chair, eh? (whispers Thanks for all the nice things you said about my writing :D Long expositions suck!)

c) YAY for the fight between Jadeite and Mamoru... who's up for more? Let's see... the next big fight is... well, ignoring that... maybe another 5 chapters. Yep, probably right after "Picnic". Which is most likely why I want to get through these next four chapters. There's eighteen chapters in this story so far (that's the meat, I'm still fighting on an epilogue), so we're not even halfway done! Gogogo!

d) Is 18 chapters epic? I thought I promised this wouldn't be epic:P Oh well, heehee.

e) About consistency.. YES! Heehee. Admittedly, that's the one thing I don't like about this story. But on the same hand, I wrote most of the chapters back-to-back and edit them that way. They flow rather well when you read them together, but updating every week can lose dome of that flow. But, yes, I'm more than aware that I slow down in some places (like this chapter, looking at the generals) and speed up in others (fight with Jadeite, anyone?) In reality, the two interludes and Usa's dreams all happen within the same time frame. Simultaneously, if you will. I know the story doesn't exactly have a tempo, but there's needed places for these things. In my own mind, I have to answer why the shitennou turned against Endymion. I have to address why Mamoru is afraid of Usagi. There's so many introspective things going on I have to hit them to make the story grand. So, yes, it's going to ebb and flow as I approach thoughtful moments and action moments. But, all in all, the end result is stunning enough that I'm not too worried about how it sounds originally. It'll work itself out :) And you didn't hurt my feelings, btw, I'm just saying that's the way it goes and it's something I need to work on.

f) I mentioned two psychics, one of whom is Rei. Our other psychic will make the scene soon and add plenty of drama to this story:D

g) I really must thank all of you for enjoying my characters. I won't lie, I became very annoyed and frustrated with Mamoru at the end. I fell in love with Venus, which is bad because that means I treat her the worst. Rei fell to the wayside, as she usually does, and Makoto and Ami started doing their own thing. I tried to make them real and believable, but most of all human. The generals are also constructed this way. I still don't know what to think of Zoisite, and Nephrite's being pouty. Kunzite just glares at me for what I've done to him and Jadiete is still mooning over Endy and doesn't notice a thing. The boys are probably the best characterization I've done, if I do say so myself. Next to Mamoru, of course. But they're all in the same boat so it works out. Anyway, I'm glad you've been enjoying them all as much as I have. Even those times I wanted to join Venus in pummeling Mamoru with her high heel.

As for how the summary relates to what exactly is going on (since this whole story basically revolves around Serenity's death), think about the manga. That's my two cents.

Either y'all had a lot more to say this chapter, or it takes longer to respond to reviews that way. Well, I hope I've confused you further but also made you hunger for more :D Let me know what pair of chapters you want updated together and we'll get this ball rolling!

Don't forget to vote! (and review?)

- Lillie Bell

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	8. Usagi's Dreams

Here's the next chapter, somewhat early or late on Friday depending how you look at it. I know you all have been waiting for a glimpse of Usagi. Here it is. As well as a part of the story of what happened in the past. Hopefully everything will fall into place now :)

As it's late and I'm tired ... I'm leaving my comments pretty sparse. Most likely, there will be a second chapter posted tomorrow even though I only got three votes or so. Eli-ko, of course, wanted the Mamoru-centric "Picnic in the Park". In all honesty, I might post double sets this week and next week. We'll see how I feel in the morning.

Notes are after the chapter. Not many because I'm terribly tired.

Enjoy and Review.

- Lillie Bell

(next update: 8 Sept 07, or possibly tomorrow)

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_Absolution:  
Usagi's Dream_

In the darkness of her dreams, a wind picked up, whipping Usagi's blue skirt around her knees. The teen found herself in a small alcove. The backs of wooden shelving faced her as a musty smell permeated her nose. She sniffed for a moment, trying to decipher the vaguely familiar odor. Her blue eyes widened. _Books._

"A library?" she whispered and the sound echoed, as though she were not truly in the place at all. To her right was a long alabaster wall with a single window peering out into a blackened sky illuminated by twinkling stars. Silver curtains hung from each side of the pane. A chill ran up her spine as she neared the window. Suddenly, a warm pressure was at her lower back, as if a hand rested there. Looking over her shoulder, Usagi saw only the shelving. She gulped, feeling out of place in the strange room. Turning once more to the window, hoping to find her exact location, she saw only an expanse of silver ground and the endlessness of the universe as a sky.

A peal of wind brushed ever so slightly against her cheek, enough to cause the small hairs at her right ear to dance. Fear suddenly filled her, as if the breath of air had whispered of some terrible doom about to befall the serene environment. Her hair whirled as she faced the wooden backs once more. A hand to her chest, she stared at the small area around her. Usagi still felt as though someone was holding her waist in a gentle embrace. Faintly, she thought she caught the scent of roses and soil over the musty smell of ancient texts.

A noise from her right had her shifting once again. A small opening between shelves showed an obvious exit and entrance to the small hiding place. And coming through that expanse was a crop of blue hair Usagi couldn't have been happier to see. The desperate greeting never left her lips, however, as she saw her friend dressed in a white, close-fitting uniform with blue trimmings. Her eyebrow rose at the strange costume Ami was wearing. _Is it Halloween?_

"Serenity-sama!" the woman chirped in surprise. She only just noticed that this woman, though looking exactly like Ami, was at least fifteen years older.

Usagi looked around frantically trying to locate this Serenity-sama Ami-chan was speaking to. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the woman's hand pressed into her shoulder.

"Serenity-sama," she said once again, looking straight at Usagi. "You must get out of here. There is an attack. Quickly!" She grabbed the blonde's hand, ignoring or not seeing Usagi's obvious confusion, and then they were running through the aisles of the library. Rooms and hallways dashed by her and Usagi barely had time to realize they had finally stopped. Falling to the ground to catch her breath, she looked past Ami to see what had impeded their escape. A man stood a few meters ahead, wearing a navy uniform. The tips of his long, blond hair clung to his shoulder. But it was his cold green eyes that sent a shiver down her back.

"Go."

Usagi peered up her left shoulder to the Ami look-alike. Her body was rigid in anticipation, her hands clenched as she faced the man before them. The air around her grew cold and she could see the glistening sheen of ice covering Ami's skin. The palace behind them started to rock and shake at its foundation. A strange sensation pressed against her stomach, as though someone were hoisting her onto her feet and dragging her away from her friend. She reached back, screaming as she was pulled away by imaginary hands. The soldier did little to acknowledge her cries, save to turn one last time before diving at the blond man.

"Save Serenity-sama!"

The ground before her blew a trail of dust as her feet carried her farther away from the battle. In a few moments, the area where she had left her friend exploded into thousands of ice crystals as tall as the crumbling palace behind them. A jarring in her heart told her of Ami's death when the sound of shattering ice rang through the air. Tears welled in her eyes as the scene faded away.

The familiar landscape of silver dust appeared and Usagi held her heaving chest as she fell to the ground once more. She felt as though she had been running a marathon. Her arm moved forward of its own volition and she was pulled to her feet. She was so exhausted she was being dragged by the invisible grip on her wrist. She noted she couldn't feel her toes as she wiggled them. Her shoulder hurt when it was being pulled. She had become numb to the burning sensation in her legs. Her footfalls were clumsy as her ankles twisted and turned, her inexperienced feet unable to gain footing on the loose moon dust. These observation were lost, however, as she was tossed forward into the unrelenting dirt. Lamenting her palms, she shrieked as the ground behind her suddenly surged upwards into the sky without any sound.

A bolt of lightning filled the empty universe, zigzagging its way to the man floating above her. He barely dodged it, falling to the ground in the process. He landed near enough that Usagi could catch a glimpse of her assailant. His curly red hair was wet and clung to his sweaty cheeks. Blood dripped from his temple and one arm looked twisted backwards in its shoulder socket. He breathed heavily as he groped at the ground, fighting to stand. His head turned and she was met with a pair of bloodthirsty eyes. Those eyes flashed a sparkling jade suddenly, as he snarled at the girl before him.

"Serenity," he huffed, gathering green power in his hand, "Witch of the White Moon. I will kill you for what you have taken from me!"

Usagi frantically told her body to move, but only managed to fall back against her scuffed hands. She peered over her chest at the glowing hand as small jolts of energy began to sneak out of the fist. Her tongue latched onto the roof of her mouth as she watched him pull his arm back before thrusting it forward, propelling the green orb at her prone body. Her throat dried as her body froze in paralyzed fear. Tears fell, unnoticed, from her eyes once more. The astral presence was gone again and she felt the truth of her situation fall upon her. _No one would protect her from this man._ Her mouth fell open as her chapped lips split. She was going to die.

She turned away at the last minute, closing her eyes as the world around her dissolved into bright white light. Her body felt amazingly unaffected as she turned toward her attacker. Usagi hiccupped as the tall, undeniable form of Kino Makoto stood before her, arms held out. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air as wisps of steam floated from the girl dressed in the same white bodysuit. The pink bows were charred as well as her green skirt and boots. Usagi stretched out a hand to the woman's back as the brunette fell to one knee.

"Leave, Serenity-sama," her gruff voice stilled the blonde's movements. Even Mako-chan was calling her Serenity-sama. _What was going on? Why were they protecting her? _She wanted to scream and tell the brunette that her name was Usagi. That they were school friends, and that lunch would be over soon. She wanted to tell the tall teen not to look so angry and sad all the time. Serenity, slowly awakening inside Usagi, rebelled against the memories running through her present life's conscious. _She wanted to tell the senshi to let her die instead of protecting her—their accursed princess._

"Mako-chan!" Usagi pleaded, though no sound issued from her lips, as the woman stood against her foe. The man fumbled to his feet, bent over with a hand to his crippled shoulder. Makoto faired no better, leaning more upon her left leg as her right blistered and oozed from the recent attack. Her arms were lobster red as she pushed them into a fighting stance, ignoring the burning heat as the scalded skin creased and rubbed together.

"You will never have Serenity-sama! I will protect her with my life!"

Something in the finality of those words struck Usagi. In a moment of clarity, she knew. _Mako-chan's going to die_. The man smirked as his eyes shone with the same jade coloring again. He planted his feet into the ground as the brunette spit out some of the blood climbing up her throat. Usagi lurched forward as the two jumped at one another, a shrill "NO" echoing throughout that impenetrable space. Those hands were on her shoulders again, holding her to the ground as she watched the man impale the senshi with a long bo. Her body fell to the ground without a noise.

The sudden appearance of gold energy lighting up the area around them went unnoticed by the blonde as she scurried on her hands and knees to the body of her friend. She pressed her hands into the lifeless chest, desperate to feel the strong beating of Mako-chan's ruthless heart. The strong arms were pulling her away, but she fought against them, pressing herself into the broken body. She wound her arms around her friend, cradling the limp head in her hands. Tears fell and she buried them in the woman's shoulder, screaming out her pain. She did not notice her school clothes had changed into a long, flowing white dress. Nor that the same alabaster cloth was soaked through with the freely flowing blood of her friend. It stained her white hair pink. She couldn't feel the warm liquid soaking her face and hands, running down her chest. Usagi held tightly onto that body until it grew cold to her touch. Finally, the hands at her arms and shoulders pried her away from the catastrophic scene.

The blood on her dress, her chest, and spattered about her face quickly collected the moon dust spouting up from the ground as she ran. The red covered her fingers and extended to her elbows as a pair of crimson gloves, coated in silver ash and sparkling in the darkness.

Usagi realized, as the shock of watching the death of her companion fell away, that she was no longer running at a great speed. If anything, she felt as though she were being limped along over the hard ground. The invisible arm that was guiding her jerked slightly at every other foot fall, as if its owner was injured. Her eyes clouded in worry, then widened in amazement when an obvious pressure came from that extended hand, as if the invisible entity had squeezed her hand in reassurance.

Flames suddenly drove down on her from one side and she was quickly jerked to the ground as they roared overhead. Another man with short blond hair and similar uniform to the previous two men descended to the ground. He knelt before her, tipping Usagi's chin with a single finger.

"Princess Serenity, is it?" he mocked, pulling the finger higher so that she strained under its strength. The bones at the back of her neck pinched and her vision blackened. "My, what a beauty we must destroy. It is quite a shame what has happened to your friends. But don't worry; you'll be reunited soon enough."

He jumped away quickly as a black energy ball suddenly pounded down upon her. She screamed as her body arched against the ground, feeling the powerful negative energy coursing through her veins. It left just as quickly and she heaved to bring air back into her empty lungs. The distressed organs burned with the added trauma. Usagi forced her eyes open, struggling to focus on the second man who had joined the fray. His hair was as cold as his eyes. The blond stood beside him, sneering at the pathetic display she made.

They advanced once again when a wall of fire impeded them. Usagi scrambled to her feet, quick to get away from the inferno that would as easily consume her as her antagonists. She stepped back from the raging flame just as a streak of red and white landed in front of her. The dark head turned and Usagi was met with the familiar face of the Hikawa Shrine's priestess she had only just met.

"Serenity-sama," she acknowledged the girl in a singsong voice that did not fit the situation. Her eyes were at Usagi's shoulder once again when they hardened. "Allow me to avenge their betrayal, cousin." Her hair fell over her shoulder as she spun on her heel to face the two men. "Leave. You will be all there is to protect her. Serenity-sama must survive."

Usagi was moved two steps to the right when the presence of the other generals stopped her. Though they looked worse for wear, she knew they had faired better than their adversaries. Her heart froze in fear of these two men. They had killed her close friends and now they had come to kill her as well.

The long-haired blond swung his sword in a high arch, one even Usagi knew would cleave her head from her shoulders without much effort. Before he completed the stroke, however, a yellow beam cut across the ground. The two men had to jump back to avoid being hit by its searing heat. A thin line of charred, black dirt lay where they had previously stood. Before Usagi caught a glimpse of the newest contender, she was on her feet again and being pulled away from the battle.

Suddenly, satin ribbons twisted up her ankles, rising to her thighs before clenching tightly. Their razor edges cut deeply into her pale skin. Her own blood quickly covered the caked-on blood of Mako-chan. Her previous cuts and burns screamed, causing her to writhe as the cloth continued to mercilessly envelop her. Her vision turned black as the ribbons encased her from head to foot. She was drowning in the dark energy surrounding her. Her body grew tired, relenting to the pain and simply waiting for it all to end. Usagi fought against the hopelessness consuming her body and soul. She had to do something to stop herself from dying. Though she kicked and screamed, her body resolutely waited as those violet ribbons wound around her, drowning her in their cruel caress. Death was soon to follow and she did nothing to stop it.

_There was no one left to save her this time. Everyone had died to protect her. There was no one to live for any more._

Struggling for breath, her tears mixing with the blood on her cheeks, the girl felt as though she were drowning in despair. She was all alone. There was no life left for her to live. She was overwhelmed by the knowledge of her failure. Serenity had failed her people and her heart. If death was the punishment for such transgressions, then she was ready to accept it. In truth, hers had not been a life worth living. She had never felt true happiness and death was simply an end to her own suffering. Usagi pounded against the immobile body trapping her inside those deadly ribbons. _Why couldn't she convince herself to live?_

Her fingers, moving on their own, clasped around the leather hilt of a sword. Before there was time for recognition, or even a thought to stop herself, she thrust the sharp point into her chest cavity. Usagi's scar flared to life, a perfect fitting for the blade she had used to take her life. She felt her lifeblood trickled down the length of the sword, surrounding her in a red pool.

_If she was to be left to die, then she would finish her life herself._

With a last burst of failing energy, the blade was pressed as deep as possible, the leather grip stopping only when it collided with her chest bone and could go no farther. She began to choke on the blood filling her complacent lungs. More frightening, her soul and body felt relieved by the knowledge that her pain would soon be over. Usagi continued to writhe against her sin even as her throat filled and she gurgled blood down her chin. She drowned in the thick liquid filling her lungs, falling to the ground as her vision turned black. The pain slowly disappeared as her body reached its limit and she died.

Never in her fourteen years had Usagi thought to kill herself. Never had the world become so dark that death was the only option left. She had never dreamed herself capable of such an egregious act. In a single nightmare, her innocence had been shattered.

The tails of purple silk licked at her vision, caught somewhere between that world of destruction and war, and the world that was her reality. The dust flew away, dispersed on an invisible wind to yield a darkened world as Usagi's dress disintegrated into her familiar school uniform. She fell to her knees, surrounded by pitch black, her body convulsing with the deep breaths she was taking as tears flowed over her cheeks. In that darkness she could see the memories of her friends' deaths over and over again. Ami being captured in hundreds of pillars of ice so cold it froze her blood into thin, solid tubes before the calculating general shattered them entirely. Mako-chan gutted by the ruddy-haired man with glowing green eyes. Somewhere in her mind's eye she could even see the battered and torn body of the priestess, her suit scorched by fire, and large welts upon her body from being repeatedly whipped by that black power. Their deaths weighed heavily upon her shoulders, but worst of all was her own acceptance of her death. Nothing frightened her more than those moments where her body lain completely content to die. Never had she thought of herself as capable of such a sin. That she had performed such an action, even in a dream, terrified her more than anything else. If she could do it in a dream, what stopped her from repeating it in real life?

The scar on her chest began to burn, reminding her of the sword she drove through her body, corrupting her soul. Usagi pressed a hand against the scar as the pain grew in intensity. Her forehead pressed to what ground there was in that murky darkness. She sobbed as her heart was singed from inside her body. Her lungs burned with her soul's pain. Her teeth clenched as the darkness was fringed with a golden color and her eyes saw only a great shining white light.

When Usagi could focus her eyes again, the darkness was gone. She looked to find herself inside a small glass bead. Through its transparent borders, she saw golden ribbons wrapped around it, pulsing with a faint light like a heart beat. She reached to touch one of the walls, wishing to feel the soft fabric wound around her cage. In response, the pain in her chest grew as her birthmark pulsed with the same rhythm as the ribbons. Fog began to cover the inside of the silver bead. Usagi pounded the curved wall, trying to stop the mist from falling and clouding her view of the ribbons. Something about them comforted her. Her fist felt the prickle of glass shards entering her hand and she moved it to see that she had created a small crack in the crystalline wall. She pressed a finger through to the ribbons and grazed over their soft folds. No sound came from her throat as she was immersed in golden light.

In the Azabu district, Mamoru jerked awake in his sleep. His body was wet with the sweat that dripped from his body, soaking into the sheets. His hand fell to his chest, a warm sensation filling the empty cavity. He groaned, falling back into the bed. _Usa is certainly a handful_, he thought as he felt her gentle caress echoing against his soul's connection. But he felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips, happy to have felt a little of her presence in the void, even though it brought with it the alluring melody of the kinzuishou. He cursed, closing his eyes against the lightening sky. Damn if the soul of the Earth wasn't trying to unite with its master through the neglected bond he shared with Usagi.

The connection between the ancient friends had been forged by Serenity's sin when she had wielded his sword, the manifestation of the kinzuishou and his soul, and taken her life with it. No doubt he had pulled too much on that power during his fight with Jadeite, nearly awakening Serenity in the process. He rolled over, his resolve returning one hundred fold. Because of the kinzuishou, and the memories it held, he could never be near Usagi. Were Usagi to remember her past and the sin Serenity committed, she would be devastated. He could not allow his kinzuishou, the essence of his soul that was nestled within her, to destroy her. He would not allow the past to taint her life as it had his.

Mamoru clawed at his pillow as he willed himself to sleep, working those golden threads through his own body in order to bring about the lethargic effects of his healing power. The needles at his neck slowly disappeared as the tension in his shoulders also fell away. His eyes drooped under the influence of his power. The world and his anxieties fell away from him, only to be recalled in the morning light.

* * *

Just a few notes/responces:

1) The generals/shitennou and the senshi had never met (with the exception of Mars). The Earth and the Moon did not communicate much at all. I thought I mentioned the chapter when Mars was introduced. Therefore, in the Silver Millennium none of them were involved with each other.

2) That being said, it doesn't mean they won't interact in the future. However, the shitennou aren't earning any brownie points by attacking Usagi. And since they're rather resolved to fulfill their destiny, they aren't going to change their goals.

3) Just a tidbit, the thing about Zoisite playing the piano I stole from PGSM. He's quite the estranged psychic (a trait I didn't keep) and very much the composer. Plus, it just fit so well. Zoisite on his own is rather boring... studious and mechanical without any passion. So, music had to be his passion to make him real. After all, it would have to be something grand for him to sell his soul for, correct?

Those're all the speculations I'm going to answer to tonight. If you are genuinely confused about something I wrote please let me know and I will be more than happy to explain what I meant.


	9. Interlude II: Jadeite and Kunzite

So, I feel like being an overachiever this weekend, which works out nicely for the rest of you :P So, here is the second interlude. It's still very Nephrite and Zoisite heavy, but they're talking about Jadeite :D That counts, right? Oh, yeah, and Kunzite's in here... somewhere... I promise ;)

So, now that I've almost completely explained the past, guess it's time for this story to start moving again. But, of course, we have "Aftermath" next, which is how Usagi responds to her crazy dreams. And then "Picnic" which Elianthos loves for the brooding Mamoru aspect :D Always a plus, eh? But after those two chapters things heat up as our last few players make the stage! I bet y'all are excited:)

Enjoy and review.

Lillie Bell

(next update: 8 Sept 2007)

* * *

_Absolution:_

_Interlude on the Moon:  
Jadeite and Kunzite_

Nephrite frowned as he pushed through the heavy door. Heated air washed over him as he stepped into the room. Tall flames licked the walls from several sconces and pyres placed at the corners. The amber light drove away the bone-chilling cold permeating the rest of the desolate satellite. Zoisite stepped around the dark-haired man, accustomed as he was to these particular quarters.

The taller general followed his lead, placing his stifling overcoat upon a chair near the bed nestled between two tall pyres. There were chairs littered about—frail, wooden things with jutting arms and bent or broken legs. Like their possessions and the generals themselves, these were the survivors of the battle for supremacy of both the Earth and Moon. After ten centuries, it was amazing they stayed in the ramshackle shape they were in. _What the cold of this place doesn't kill_, he mused humorlessly, _it immortalizes._

Zoisite was pulling at some wrappings and occasionally the older general heard the short snips of sheers and ripping cloth. His eyes continued to roam, unable to watch the bloodied bandages replaced with bleached cotton. He was not ready to view the crumpled body he knew lay beneath Zoisite's sure hands. Moving away, his eyes finally rested upon Jadeite's greatest possession. Looking at it, he wondered if this was what Jadeite had exchanged his soul to possess.

On the opposite wall, facing the bed, the proud visage of Prince Endymion stared out into the dark room, taking in the handiwork that had driven the youngest general to an unconscious state. The lips were quirked in his charismatic smile that now seemed patronizing to the tall general. The memory of a teenage boy with the same looks holding his thin katana high above Jadeite's head came to Nephrite's mind. He looked at the finely painted eyes and the meticulous blending used to create the color of Endymion's tanned skin. The brilliant navy uniform and red satin lining of his cape, even the crest upon his chest, winked in sinister glee.

The portrait encased the blue eyes of a twenty-year old in an everlasting moment. The serene painting, which showed a young prince entering adulthood, hid any knowledge of the betrayal that he would enact just five short years later. For Jadeite, it served as a memento of his obsession. Nephrite, however, felt the sudden weight of the loss of their prince. The picture reminded him of how far they had strayed from their true goal.

They had set out to save Endymion. They had killed him to save him, willingly even. The generals chased him to his next incarnation when that witch, Serenity, had thwarted their original intention. By spilling her blood upon the golden sword the prince inherited, the physical manifestation of the kinzuishou, she had sealed their souls together—Endymion had been forced to carry her wretched sin. The princess was reborn as Queen Serenity wished. Surely, the queen had never imagined Endymion would follow. She had merely saved her daughter and the line of Selene, sending them all to the future in hopes of defeating Metallia. She was a fool to leave herself alone on a dead satellite that no longer held the power to sustain its deity.

Jadeite showed the first indication that Endymion lived only a few days ago. Before he or Zoisite had time to react, Jadeite was gone and with him all the answers. That day, when the young general stared into space for so long, he had contacted the prince's reincarnation. He hadn't told them much else, simply saying a disturbance had alerted him to Endymion's presence. It was Zoisite who decided their brother had been gone long enough and that they should search for him. Neither had assumed he had kept the truth such a secret.

Those acrylic blue eyes stared at him, full of the mirth and life of their Endymion. Nephrite had met a different pair of blue eyes when they arrived at the Hikawa Shrine and they saw their prince and Jadeite fighting. The senshi stood off to the side, only one with her head cast towards the two combatants. Her tall frame held a defensive stance, standing before a blue-haired senshi and myriad of fallen companions. He remembered Sailor Jupiter. She was the one to deal him a nearly fatal blow in the previous war. Nephrite almost pounced upon her when a descending body suddenly flew past his vision. Before he had time to think, he was staying that thin sword and staring into those unforgiving eyes that promised him judgment. But as Nephrite looked into those familiar blue depths framed by wet, black bangs, his soul could not forgive this new incarnation's transgressions. His fist clenched.

Endymion was dead. They _had_ succeeded in killing him a millennium ago.

Now, in the same body, there stood a man willing to destroy them for their sins. No longer was there compassion, or even guilt, left for them. The man Endymion had become was a force to be reckoned with and would not hesitate against them. For certain, this was the part of Endymion that had survived. This was the soul that had broken free of Serenity's grasp. This incarnation fueled by vengeance and hate would bring them to their knees with the truth of their betrayal. Penance was meaningless. Theirs was truly a doomed existence.

"That boy is not Endymion-sama," Zoisite spoke softly, nearly drowned out by the continuous murmur of the fires around him. Nephrite barely caught the sound of the other man's voice. Feeling grave, Nephrite turned away from the picture. The white sheets of the cot danced with the flickering red-orange light. Even under the rose-tinted flames, Jadeite's face looked sallow. The older general pressed his fingertips to his companion's temple. The injured man was cold though sweat dripped down his skin. Nephrite turned to acknowledge Zoisite's presence at the foot of the bed. "Has he eaten?"

Zoisite propped his chin on a fist, his eyes never moving from the body struggling to breathe beneath the host of blankets. "Rice gruel mostly. He doesn't want to take it."

"Do you force him?"

Nephrite knew the answer, but had asked despite his better judgment. Zoisite idly humored his comrade.

"I have kept him alive this long." It was not a complaint, simply a fact. As if he had said the Moon was freezing. As if he had said the eastern mess hall needed some structural changes. There was no emotion, only solemn acknowledgement of a deed fulfilled.

Nephrite pushed away the wet bangs upon Jadeite's brow. He traced the sunken cheeks and small recesses beneath his companion's eyes. The jaw bone protruded as Nephrite traced along its edge before pressing his thumb against Jadeite's chapped lips. He could feel the hot issues of air flowing from feather-thin lungs. It was a raspy noise that only existed for a second or two before it vanished into the void of the universe. Nephrite frowned, thinking of Zoisite's sorrowful, muted music. All motion, but no sound.

"Is this the cost of our betrayal?" Even the sound of his whisper did not last for more than a moment before it was swallowed by the immeasurable expanse of space. An answer was as forthcoming from that emptiness as the soothing melodies of Zoisite's concertos.

Zoisite looked away from the scene. His head rested upon the arms draped over the back of his chair. His voice held no conviction when it replied many moments later. "Endymion-sama betrayed us first. He sided with that witch."

"And so we found our own and signed our souls over to her." _First Beryl, now__Metallia. What have we done to ourselves?_

They sat there, neither seeing the room nor each other. Memories, regrets, and the most private of thoughts passed through their minds. The indifferent fires burned, their dance lighting the youngest general's face and shadowing those of the other two. Nephrite pressed his hand upon Jadeite's stomach. The soft organs bent beneath the palm.

Zoisite frowned slightly. "If you push harder, you'll reopen his wounds."

Nephrite's hand lifted until only two of his fingers were on Jadeite's stomach. They gently traced a diagonal route. He felt the top of Jadeite's hip bone beneath his fingertips, the skin sunken in like the rest of his eternally young body. A breath passed through Nephrite's lips when fingers wrapped around his wrist in a paper-thin grasp. When their gazes met, Nephrite turned away. Guilt rose in his throat for bringing such a pained expression to that battered face.

Nephrite didn't object when Zoisite pushed him away, ready to examine their conscious brother. He pressed different regions of his body, surmounting the degree of hemorrhage before Jadeite finally stopped answering to the man's ministrations. Nephrite faced them once again and Jadeite turned away. The fire lit up the tears streaming down Jadeite's cheeks as he hid his shame by facing toward the wall.

"Brother," he sobbed for his lost friend. "Endymion." The two hovered over the broken man, unsure of how to comfort him. The bandages held his body together, but nothing could bind his shattered will. They could not heal the pain they felt themselves. No amount of cotton wrapping was going to mend these wounds. No words could soothe the hole within their hearts.

Jadeite's body began to shake. Not knowing if it be from a sudden chill or despair, Zoisite carefully nestled himself between the wall and younger man on the cot. His arms gently circled the shivering body which eagerly accepted the embrace. Cold slithered down his neck, but Zoisite held his companion closer, hoping to lend the man some strength. His fingers buried in the wispy hair as he felt Jadeite's grip tighten around him. He cradled the broken man as the silent tears continued to course down his cheeks and jaw, his neck and shoulders.

Nephrite noticed the careful placement of Zoisite's hands as he drew Jadeite closer to his lean body. Even the eyes of the stoic general Zoisite misted at the younger man's suffering. Nephrite looked away, his fist falling open against his thigh. His bangs fell over his forehead and eyes, hiding them from the light. His body was suddenly feeling its one thousand years.

"He cannot be forgiven." _Nor can we._

"We will kill Serenity. Without her, he will love us once again," Zoisite answered. Doubt clouded his voice. _Did they even believe their own lies anymore?_

"They are linked," Jadeite croaked, his fingers clenching the navy material at Zoisite's back. Zoisite grunted a bit when flesh caught beneath the desperate grip. "If you kill her, you will kill him."

Nephrite stared into the dancing fire. As second in command, their next move was his call. He watched the red-orange flame, sorting through thoughts he wished were not his own, trying to make a decision he wanted so much to pretend was not his to make. _Would they continue to hound Endymion through every incarnation just to kill him? Would this cycle of betrayal only end with their deaths?_

"He will kill us if we take her," Zoisite reminded him.

"He has raised his hand against his brethren," a voice reverberated through the room. The three turned to the doorframe, completely filled by a tall form. The looming presence stepped into the light, silver hair glistening in the firelight. A shudder trickled down their spines as depthless, black eyes stared at them. They no longer questioned why his was the only sound to echo in the void.

"As you said," Kunzite fixed Nephrite with a bottomless stare. His deep voice held no lilts; only a simple monotone with no life behind it. "He cannot be forgiven."

Zoisite's face turned painful. "We did kill him first." When those eyes, so like the expanse of space, turned to take him in, he could feel his solidified soul burn. Kunzite's presence always did this to them—seared away what little good their souls held even after losing their shitennou spirits. He rubbed his chin into the crown of Jadeite's head, smelling the faint odor of incense and ash. _Like a funeral pyre_.

"There is no reason to hesitate now. Whether we kill Serenity or Endymion, the end result will be the same. We must prepare this world for our great queen. These two stand in the way of our empire." He turned, his white cape flapping around him. "Our efforts shall not be thwarted again." And as quickly as he had come, Kunzite vanished.

Jadeite ground his nose and forehead into the strong chest before him. His voice rang out in the silence that always fell after their leader's departure. "Wasn't this all to protect my Brother?"

The tears hidden behind Zoisite's lids finally fell as he held the broken man. Nephrite kneeled at their bedside, his arm lying upon Jadeite's own as his hand cupped the man's shoulder. His fingertips grazed the clammy skin of the youngest general's neck, feeling a weak pulse beneath the callous pads. The tips of Nephrite's hair brushed against Jadeite's cheeks as the tall general bowed his head over his two comrades.

_Was fate truly this cruel to those who had wandered from its path?_


	10. The Aftermath

I'm late tonight. Last night was fun and crazy and involved way too much jager.

How about a double post to make up my tardiness? And the fact that this chapter is uber short.

Enjoy and review. (I can tell school's started because I onyl have 2-3 reviews a week now :P)

- Lillie Bell_  
_

* * *

_Absolution:  
The Aftermath_

Luna padded to the edge of the bed, blue eyes focused on the closed bedroom door. Usagi had disappeared to take a shower nearly thirty minutes prior. It was not only the fact that the cat knew the girl had taken a quite luxurious bath the night before, but also that she was awake two hours before her alarm that caused the cat to fret. Luna kneaded the covers with her front paws in agitation. _What was taking the girl so long?_

The feline had plenty of reason to worry. She had watched Usagi toss and turn all night. She had been proven wrong thinking that the incident at the shrine had no effect on the sleeping princess. The pitiful whimpers rang through her sensitive ears and she pressed them to her skull in an attempt to drive out the sound. Usagi had obviously been visited with a few of Serenity's memories. From the painful moans to mournful sobbing, the guardian could easily guess that Usagi had been shown to the worst of the moon princess' experiences.

Her black tail flicked, showing her rising anxiety. When Usagi woke up covered in sweat and breathing heavily, she had promptly left for the bathroom without even a glance at the time. Though Usagi had had fitful sleeps before, none stayed with her into the daytime. With Serenity emerging, Luna could only guess what fate had in store for them now.

The knob turned and she stood as Usagi made her way into the room. The girl's face was ashen. Her eyes were sunken in as water dripped down her wet bangs onto her cheeks. She made no move to brush them away. Her blue eyes were large and glassy as she passed the cat and sat before the mirror. Usagi stared into her reflection but her eyes were focused on something beyond the reflective surface of the glass.

Even more disturbed by the silence, Luna moved to the head of the bed and jumped to the vanity. She stepped in front of the girl's line of vision but received no recognition. For the first time, the guardian was worried about the young girl's sanity. Though she protected the reincarnated princess due to her previous service to the Moon's queen, the cat was particularly fond of the teenager. Her solemn behavior, so unlike her normal boisterous attitude, sent chills down Luna's fur-lined spine. She did not even notice her hair standing on end along her bridged backbone until Usagi laid her hand upon the bristled fur in an instinctual response. Luna looked up to see Usagi still staring into the depths of her reflection, as though some great secret was hidden inside of the glass, or perhaps inside herself.

_This is why_, Luna suddenly realized, her furry eyebrows rising towards her ears with realization. _This is why Mamoru-san stopped me that first time I saw her. He knew the memories of Serenity could very well destroy her._

Even though she understood the king's intentions, she could not trust him. The fact that she had even thought of him, much less that she conceded to him, frazzled her further. True, he had helped them connect the computers from the Moon to the Earth. Yet, she felt he was hiding something. She, like Ami, had blindly trusted him. Then Makoto had questioned his loyalties and cracked his perfect exterior.

He had been the last with Serenity and it put her on edge around the teenage monarch. _How did they know that he had not been the one to kill the princess himself? Was he just waiting for them to find the ginzuishou before showing his true colors?_

She had always kept an eye on Mamoru ever since that first day he had intercepted her. Intuition told her that Usagi was destined for something greater than her mother, Her Majesty Queen Serenity. There was a reason the queen sacrificed her kingdom for her daughter to live, and it was more than familial love. The queen was too good a ruler to trade the thousands of lives and centuries of prosperity and peace for one disobedient twenty-year old.

Furthermore, it rubbed her the wrong way that the Earth prince was reincarnated with their princess. Certainly Gaia would have summoned her knight into her service eventually, but not at the same time that Serenity managed to resurface in the world of the living. There was some connection between Serenity and Endymion, but she had no idea what it was or what it could be and the not knowing made her all the more suspicious. Without her memories, she was glad that her partner would join her soon and help to unravel the mystery of the reincarnated prince. But for now, she was more focused on the delicately unbalanced teen before her.

Luna's chest rumbled as she brushed her fuzzy coat against Usagi's arm. Her purrs sounded loudly, filling the silent room with their cheerful sound. Usagi was fated, and if that meant she would eventually need Serenity's memories then so be it. Even a younger, more carefree version of the princess could survive the turmoil of her previous life. Mamoru just needed a little faith. _They all did._

A small mew left her upturned lips when a delicate set of fingers curled beneath her chin, scratching the sensitive area satisfactorily. She purred louder, glad for the girl's sudden awakening into reality. The soft, fine hairs of Usagi's smooth skin pricked as they met Luna's rough tongue. Usagi giggled.

"Were you trying to make it better, Luna?" she smiled slightly, cuddling her face against the soft down of Luna's side. The cat's delicate scent flowed through her nostrils, creating a sense of calm in the chaotic world that existed behind her eyelids. With a sigh, she turned to check the time and moved away from the vanity. Luna watched the girl move slowly about the room, getting her things together, before going downstairs. Though she lacked her usual vigor, Luna knew the worst had passed. Usagi would prevail against any adversary, including herself. Unknowingly, Luna's chest swelled with pride.

_Faith_, she chided Mamoru silently. _All you need is a little faith in our princess. But mostly in Usagi-chan._

Mizuno Ami strolled down the street, enjoying the early morning. She rounded the corner, heading towards Usagi's house to accompany her to school. Ami was surprised to see the blonde tapping her last sandal onto her foot and making her way down the driveway. Ami burst into a run, quickly catching up to her friend. She missed the wince that spread across Usagi's face as she stopped in front of her to catch her breath.

"I don't want to see you anymore," Usagi blurted out.

_What? _Ami didn't have time to respond before the blonde pivoted on her heeled sandal and verily ran in the opposite direction. The girl's outstretched hand fell lifelessly to her hip. Her jaw hung open. _What was going on? _Her feet moved forward without her knowledge, directing her to school. _Is Usagi pushing us away as Serenity had? Can we never be friends outside of our duty?_

In her eyes was a look so devastating, had she not had her eyes focused on the sidewalk she surely would have struck the most profound sadness into any who made contact. She didn't recognize her classroom or even think of how she managed to get to her desk until Makoto was poking her in the shoulder, reminding her to pass her homework forward. Makoto frowned at the girl's strange behavior.

"Usagi-chan," Naru nudged her friend gently causing the blonde to start. The desk squealed as it jerked under the weight of the small teen.

"You're not sitting with your friends?"

The terror that filled those large blue eyes was enough answer. Naru crossed her arms and looked at the two girls in question. Kino Makoto had her tall frame hunched, leaning over the slumped form of Mizuno Ami. Under her speculative gaze, the cold exterior of the girl genius fell away. Mizuno searched for Usagi in the classroom, landing upon Naru and the back of Usagi's head. In those ice-blue eyes Naru saw a deeper sadness than should ever grace a fourteen year old. For all their unpleasantness, she felt sorry for Usagi's sudden aversion to the two girls. Truly, it hurt them as well.

Naru shifted to the girl at her elbow where Usagi was looking everywhere but at the two girls on the other side of the classroom. From her reaction, Naru had thought the other girls had done something terrible to her friend; yet, the overwhelmingly distraught look in Mizuno's normally calm face could not support that claim. Whatever had happened between them went beyond simple teenage bickering.

Taking in a breath, she decided to brave the situation. "Usagi-chan," she said softly. "Don't you think it's strange? Those two were so different when they first showed up. Mizuno-san was quiet as a mouse and wouldn't look anyone in the eye. And Kino-san has been quite docile considering the rumors. I doubt it's the case that her reputation preceded her."

She caught Usagi's intense gaze and held it firmly. "It's like they talk to you and they don't need anything else. Even you have to notice how they've changed since becoming your friend."

There was recognition in Usagi's gaze, and Naru couldn't decide if it was pride or shame. With a sigh of defeat, she turned back to the whispering forms of Ami and Makoto. She had always known that Usagi was a special person, but the behavior of the two girls implied something far greater. It was almost as if those two acted like guardians to the most precious treasure of the galaxy.

Naru watched Usagi stare at the blackboard as the day's lessons went on. Her mind was obviously elsewhere, a frown permanently engraved on her face. She would come back to the classroom, jot down a few sentences, before falling back into thought. Naru frowned, wondering what could have Usagi so uncharacteristically gloomy and distracted.

"Have you ever felt that maybe you were meant to be someone else?" Usagi asked at lunch. Naru stared at the girl for a moment, not sure what question she was really asking.

"You mean like a rock star?" Umino queried taking a seat next to Naru.

Usagi shook her head. "No, I mean like the person you are is not who you are supposed to be. Like, maybe destiny went wrong and you never got the memo."

"That's silly, Usagi," Yumi poked at her friend with her chopsticks. "You are who you are: Usagi-chan. Who else could you be?"

Some of the tension fell away from the blonde. Naru let out a sigh of relief, glad that Usagi was starting to return to normal. She turned to look behind them at the two girls underneath the tall tree in the courtyard. Mizuno Ami and Kino Makoto sat without touching their lunches. Their eyes were trained on Usagi who continued to ignore them.

"I guess you're right, Yumi," Usagi chuckled at herself. A smile made its way to her face. "I don't know what I was talking about."

Yumi frowned. "Usagi, this doesn't have anything to do with Chiba-kun and Mizuno-san, does it?"

Naru whipped around. While she had also heard the rumors that the two were dating, she had not had the heart to ask Usagi how she felt. She didn't know whether to slap or hug Yumi at that moment.

Usagi nibbled at her lunch, more interested in her food than the topic of conversation. She sighed. "He made his decision long ago. Ami-chan is more suited for him anyway. He's good in school like she is, and serious, and …" She trailed off not knowing what else to say. _How well did she know her best friend anymore?_

"Yumi asked how _you_ felt, Usagi-chan," Naru added. "You two used to be inseparable, and now he wants nothing to do with you. That doesn't make much sense in my book."

"Maybe he's trying to protect her from his teenage hormonal urges," Yumi said dreamily.

Two pairs of eyebrows hit hairlines. Umino choked on his shrimp. Once he got the food dislodged, he spoke in honor of males everywhere. "We're not all like that, Yumi. I'm sure that Chiba-kun is perfectly capable of keeping his 'urges' in check."

"Besides," Naru added in, "what would Usagi need protection from?" She eyed her friend purposefully. _Yes, what would Usagi need to be protected from? Why did those two girls swarm about her and guard her? _

The blonde was lost in her own thoughts once again. Naru frowned._ Did Usagi even know the answer herself?_ Maybe Usagi had just now noticed how much time Mizuno and Kino spent scaring off the rest of the student population. Perhaps, it wasn't until today that Usagi actually knew _what_ they protected her from, or _why_. Naru touched her friend on the shoulder. "Eh, Usagi?"

Whatever thoughts were there disappeared as Usagi put on a smiling front and just chuckled at Naru's remark. "Well, there are those light posts that have always posed problems in the past. But I don't think anyone could protect me from my own clumsiness."

The group laughed, agreeing. The lunch bell rang and they gathered up their lunches and headed inside. Naru wrapped an arm around Usagi's shoulders and hugged her. The blonde smiled at her friend's support and the two made their way to their seats.


	11. Picnic in the Park

I'm going to dedicate this chapter to Eli-ko since she loves the angsty Mamoru in this scene. He comes back in another few chapters in rare form :D

So, this chapter explores the reasons why Mamoru is fighting against Serenity and the Dark Kingdom. Also, how the girls are changing to focus their lives upon Serenity. And it has my happy pretty metaphor :)

Enjoy and review.

- Lillie Bell  
(next update: 15 Sept 07)

* * *

_Absolution:  
Picnic in the Park_

Makoto cursed the small crack in the sidewalk as she struggled to maintain her balance with the large basket slung over her shoulder. The heavy thing flew over her back just as she planted her feet firmly into the ground. She slumped over the pack, both hands on the basket in case it decided to lurch forward once again. She huffed, breathing hard, as she waited for her heart to stop pounding in her ears. When she felt close to normal once again, she hefted up the pack with a grunt and headed away from the detestable sidewalk.

Her feet carried her toward the lakeshore where the girls had decided to have their picnic. After Usagi's strange episode this morning and throughout the day, they had decided to have a meeting in the park. Unfortunately, Rei was finishing up some chores and Ami was in cram school for another hour. Being the cook, Makoto had decided to just brave the day and find a spot early. Maybe laying out on the large blanket with the sun on her skin would ease her troubled mind.

The recent awakening of Mars had not quelled her worries. It angered her that she had been left out. Every one of them knew something about Serenity or Endymion but herself. She gritted her teeth, her feet sliding slightly as she climbed down a steep knoll. The little clumps of dirt sailed down the hill in silly somersaults as her thoughts continued to wander. She had been proud of her duty as a guardian. When the call came, she had willingly given her life in order to aid her princess. Granted, she had not been able to kill her assailant, but she had been able to wound him so that he could not have lived for much longer. At least, that is what she had thought before seeing Nephrite chastising the Earth prince.

_Where had she failed? What was her worth as a guardian?_

She set out towards a sunny patch in the sloping hill that held the lake at its base. Her jaw was clenched hard enough to bring a headache. She had fought and died, and even now it seemed to weigh very little. She did not trust this Mamoru whom Ami clung to and even Rei recognized as kin. And now she knew Nephrite, who had defeated her, was a guardian of Endymion. It seemed there was nothing she could do correctly. She wiped her arm over her eyes, feeling the uncommon glistening of tears at their corners. Ami's question from a recent afternoon came wafting through her ears as she neared the sunny spot.

_Did we fail her?_

Makoto looked to the side, unable to bear the sun on her face. She could not answer if her ignorance had been the cause of her failure. Her whole life was devoted to Serenity. She trained and counseled the guards on their techniques nearly every hour of the day. She did nothing but strategize how to better protect their princess. The senshi had always pushed for more soldiers, though the request fell on deaf ears. How foolish they all had been to believe a utopia had no need of diligent soldiers.

Her thoughts fell into nothingness when she came upon the clump of trees to her right. Amongst the darkness cast by the tall crowns and arching limbs, standing tall and unyielding as those lean trunks, was Chiba Mamoru, formerly the Crown Prince Endymion of Elysian, the Golden Kingdom. For a moment, she wasn't certain if the shadowed area was due to the trees or his presence. He had his back to her but that stance was ingrained in her brain: tall, proud, and weighted beyond what he could carry.

Makoto bit her cheek, her lip ticking in an urge to confront the man. She had yet to have a moment alone with him and she never was one to hide her feelings. She felt the need to voice her concerns to him and get his answers. True, it would not resolve her sense of uselessness at the moment, but it would ease the warrior spirit inside her who clamored for a release to all of her tumultuous emotions. Standing tall, the weight of the basket settling against her backside as her arm slung back to hold it there, she approached the shadowy figure.

Mamoru stared out into the lake that echoed his own hollowness. A beautiful exterior hid the emptiness within them both. There was life underneath the lake's wavering surface, just as there was life beneath his tanned skin. His blood flowed and his heart beat, yet it was not truly life. The lake had no life of her own; she was only a vessel, just as he was simply the body to hold the kinzuishou. His hands dug deeper into his pockets, wondering once more what his worth in this life was aside from fulfilling the final wishes of Endymion. _Was there no room for Mamoru, the teenage boy who supposedly had his whole life ahead of him?_

A spark fluttered up his spine and he did not turn to acknowledge Makoto. She stood barely a meter from his back but she had seen the way he went rigid. He knew she was there. She set her pack down on a set of tree roots jutting out of the ground. It teetered for a moment and then settled. Running a hand through her bangs, she faced the older teen once again.

Her mouth closed with unexpected shyness. What had she expected, to just voice her concerns? The thought of simply blurting out that she didn't trust him didn't appeal to her anymore. The shadowed area made her feel as though they were in a cloistered room, where one spoke in whispers and of underhanded deeds. A bough arched near her and for a moment she thought it stretched to hear what she might say to this man, its master.

The hardness fell from her eyes as she looked past him to the lake, shining in the sun. Her fingers wiggled with anxiety, feeling ten times the fool for standing there with nothing to say. Finally, with a gulp of air and a punch of gumption, she forced something out of her mouth to dispel the silence permeating the area.

"Did you love Serenity?"

He looked away from the lake, taking a few moments to overcome his surprise. Obviously, he hadn't been expecting that question. "I don't know." He swallowed, taking a deep breath before continuing. "We were both escaping our responsibilities. We were companions in that only."

His hands routed through his pockets absentmindedly. His gaze moved to the ground, thinking intently. For a moment, his eyes cleared and he shook his head before turning back to her. "We never spoke of love or even friendship."

Makoto crossed her arms, settling her weight against one hip. The cross-examination continued. "Just acquaintances? Mercury said you swore to protect her, though it seems you didn't do too well." She ignored his tremendously pained grimace. Even Mamoru couldn't hide the emotion that welled with the memory of her blood dripping onto his body. Never mind that the image haunted most of his nights. "And how do I know you didn't kill her yourself? _Your_ generals seem to be intent on causing her harm."

"My shitennou are no longer who they once were. They did not know of Serenity before Beryl exposed her. They are on some mission to save me from the princess, a foolish crusade Beryl persuaded them to take. Now she is dead and they live to fulfill the last command she gave them. They will try to destroy Serenity. I will stop them with everything I have."

"And where do you stand in this?"

"I will protect her with my life, as I did on the Moon." _But could he truly abandon his planet and his people as he had before? He was not sure if Earth could survive another thousand years of dormancy._

"Those are strong words for someone claiming to be less than Serenity's companion."

"Is it not the same devotion you feel yourself?" She jolted in shock. When Mamoru continued his voice was low and soft. "Were you not placed in her service, would you still have used your abilities to protect her?"

"Absolutely."

He smiled as his eyes took on a whimsical quality. "Is it so impossible for me to feel the same way? I will defend her because of who she is. She is the hope of this world; the hope of new life and happiness."

"Serenity or Usagi-chan?"

The smile faded. "Is her present self not forced to finish the life started by Serenity?" At her silence he sighed. "Usa will eventually awaken as you three have. She will no longer be the carefree, innocent child once Serenity's memories return. Serenity has an obligation to defeat this evil threatening us once again. Usa's pious hands will be stained with the blood of vengeance. That act will destroy her soul."

The girl's mouth thinned into a barely seen line. She had not even thought of the melding of Usagi's and Serenity's consciousnesses. It would not be like the senshi, where they had quickly continued their previous lives by guarding the small princess. Their lives were truly no different than that of a millennium ago. They lived and breathed to guard the princess, just as their lives now held little true purpose without the giggling blonde.

The senshi had gladly shouldered the weight of protecting their princess. Ami had given up studying at night. Her grades were not mediocre, but they were not the genius-level as before. She no longer dreamed of medical schools or following in her mother's footsteps. Instead, her time was spent in the control room, tracking the actions of youma and generals. Sailor Mercury was always trying to find the entrance to the Dark Kingdom. All that was left of the dreams of Mizuno Ami was her obligatory attendance of cram school.

Hino Rei had changed in a single day. The day before she had been the naïve priestess of a small shrine in Tokyo, but last night she had taken on her destiny to be Sailor Mars. Her temper became short and she fought with the ferocity of a true Martian princess. She had spent most of her time in front of the fire, looking for the rest of the events that had occurred after their deaths. Already the life of Rei had been pushed aside and Mars stood in her place.

Makoto was no exception. Though she did not act as differently and she did not have as many aspirations as Ami or as noble a life as Rei, her outlook had certainly changed. It made sense now why her family was dead. She had been alone because that was how she grew stronger. It was the Jovian way, after all. Even in the Silver Millennium, children were separated from their parents and forced to survive. It was the secret to their great strength. And she was their greatest soldier. She was the most alone.

Makoto remembered the basket of food behind them. Once she had thought of opening a flower shop or a bakery. If she would have to say she had a dream that would have been it. Being an orphan had left her with little interest in the future and now she lived only for the princess. There was nothing but Usagi that interested her any more. Even the meal she had fixed for today meant little to her. At one time she would have been happy to have someone to taste her treats. Nowadays, her mind rarely strayed from their mission.

Usagi, however, would never come to terms with what was expected of her. She would become the princess of the galaxy and save them from this recent evil. Yet, it seemed they had opened a Pandora's Box. Simply vanquishing this evil did not mean they were in the clear. Now, they were likely targets. Until Serenity, Usagi, came into the power of the ginzuishou, fiends from all over the universe would come to take its power. The same had happened to the first Serenity, and she had easily held her ground against the demons. Then the Moon Palace was erected and the utopia created. Yet, that ideal had been destroyed in one night. Centuries of fighting had not deterred all manners of evil. Makoto sighed, resigned to the fact that this was the future of the simple girl who had become more of a dear friend than a charge.

She had to admit that Mamoru was right. Just the thought of Usagi brought to mind the girl's silly chatter, or playing video games at Crown, or flitting about the lunch tables. This girl had no idea that the world rested upon her shoulders. Serenity had known since birth that she was solely responsible for the universe's peace. She had taken the weight of it as they had bowed their heads and taken their position as her guardians. It was ingrained and expected, and they all knew the trials to come.

Usagi, however, would likely collapse under the strain. She was too naïve, too innocently pure, to understand the reasons for killing. Makoto closed her eyes as tears pricked them once more. That pure soul inside Usagi, that light of love and joy of life, would be extinguished upon Serenity's awakening. They had been pleased to see their reincarnated princess smiling and blissful in this life. And, in a moment of insight, Makoto realized Usagi was this way because the weight of the world was no longer on her shoulders. Once Serenity awoke, she would no longer be the same girl they knew. She would retreat once again, as Serenity had, and the childlike schoolgirl filled with hopes and dreams would disappear completely.

"Is there no way to save them both?" she whispered without knowing she spoke her thought out loud. She felt his eyes on her and met his uncertain face. He seemed to have about as much of an answer as she did.

He went to step by her, his work shift starting soon. Impulsively, he cupped her shoulder, the thick cotton fabric of her uniform feeling strange under his large hand. She faintly caught his scent on the small breeze wafting over them. It was of warm soil and rose petals. Somehow the odor released a bit of the tension between her shoulder blades. Faintly, she registered the soft prickling of golden energy untangling the bundle her nerves had become. A soft sigh pressed from her lips as he finally moved away and up the hill.

Makoto watched his back until he was over the rise and too far to see. With a heavy mind, she collected the basket. She took a moment to enjoy the cool shade and sparkling lake spread before her gaze. She hefted the pack over her shoulder once more, feeling the woven wooden ribbons pressing ripples into her back. She turned, leaving that quiet sanctuary to make her way back into the sunny day.

As she was laying out the blanket and placing rocks at its corners, her mind wandered to the Earth king once again. Though she was still skeptical of him, and felt she would always be so, she now understood his reasons for protecting their princess. She sat on her ankles, her shins grating against the checkered fabric. Pressing a hand to her forehead, she turned her face to the sun lighting up the blue sky. She propped herself up on her palms, arching her chest. The sun warmed her skin, replenishing her.

She dropped back against the blanket, stretching out her limbs before curling her slender arms under her head. In that peaceful moment she allowed herself to ponder why Mamoru fought against his generals and the Dark Kingdom. He was trying to end this battle before Usagi was awakened. They both knew he was fighting against Time and Fate, who never lost. Yet, he continued the futile efforts. There was always the sliver of a chance he could do it. He was gambling everything on that scant possibility.

Makoto pulled the tie out of her hair, feeling the silky strands flow over her arms. She took a moment to run her fingers through it, relieving the needles on her scalp. If anything, she now understood the true reason why Mamoru fought. There were many reasons, of course. Saving the universe, making up for his inability to protect the princess and his planet in the past, and fulfilling his own responsibilities as the only king of a surviving world were on the top of the list. But most importantly, he fought for Usagi. He fought to keep her the innocent girl she was, untainted by the cruelty of the past, and to save her from the punishment of Serenity's transgressions.

_He's fighting to keep Serenity sealed so Usagi would not feel the guilt of her previous sins as he did. He could not allow the dead princess to afflict her incarnation's soul as Endymion had his own._

_Could he have cared for the princess when he fought against her to save Usagi?_


	12. Aino Minako

Hmm... y'all must have liked the last chapter :D Lots of happy reviews! They make me happy too :D

So here it is! A pinnacle chapter. Bring in Aino Minako! You all thought you knew what was going on? You have no idea :P :P There are also more Usa/Mamo interactions and a mysterious, all-too-commonly placed fortune teller. But now that Minako is here, what could possibly happen next?

Let's look at some general questions:  
1) Someone asked if I'm going to stick to normal senshi/general pairings. Er, sorta, maybe, almost. Any kind of relationships (minus Rei) aren't a concern except in the epilogue.  
2) About one of the lines in the previous chapter ("He [Mamoru made his deicision long ago"), that will be answered in this chapter :) Another note on this: someone finally got mad at me for implying that Mamoru does not love Serenity or Usagi (or both?)! Heehee. Part of the reason I wrote this fic was for the readers to question the love Endymion has for Serenity and Mamoru has for Usagi. No one ever said Mamoru has to love Serenity. ::evil grin:: But there's a lot of evidence that says he loves Usagi. (Is that more confusing?)  
3) I absolutely love the reviewer who said that all of Mamoru's efforts to stop Serenity's awakening will most likely be in vain. Y'all are starting to put the pieces together and it really excites me :D And, yes, judging by her dreams and half-put together memories he is fighting a losing battle. But he's the only one who doesn't know it :X  
4) Once again thank you to everyone who commented on my writing style! I know it's very different, so I'm glad it is a refreshing change and not something weird :P Special thanks to one of the authors I've followed for years! You made me so happy when you commented :D :D

One last note: I took a huge liberty in this chapter in respect to tarot readings and throws. There isn't anything like what I have proposed so please suspend reality for the moment. I created this throw and concept knowing I was bending a bit of the rules (though from what I understand it's a little touch-and-go). I did not vary too much on the interpretations, though. End disclaimer :)

Enjoy and review!

- Lillie Bell  
(next update: 22 Sept 07)_  
_

* * *

_Absolution:  
Aino Minako_

A young blonde pressed a thin hand over her forehead, shielding the sun from her sensitive, sky blue eyes. Her platinum blonde hair swayed at her hips as she took in the cloudless sky haloed by the afternoon sun. Her body was thin and lithe; her shoulders wider than most, calves and thighs toned, and skin tanned from hours of training.

At fourteen, the gods had truly smiled upon the blossoming body of Aino Minako. At the edge of womanhood, her body held an innocent sensuality of which she was blissfully unaware. She stood at the entrance to Juuban not even realizing the spectacle she was creating. Unlike the girls filing out of the old school building, her body was not hidden by a uniform. Her long legs, toned arms, and a small section of her stomach were easily seen. Her golden belly chain flickered in the afternoon sun, bringing more attention to her tanned abs than was necessary.

Her bright blue eyes scanned every face that passed through the gates, intent on finding her childhood friend. Though she had spent the last four years in London, their relationship was as solid as ever. It had been Minako's decision to fib and say she was moving back a week later. She wrung her hands, excited to see the surprise that would light Usagi's face.

As the flow of students lessened, the blonde feared she had missed her opportunity. She moved inside the gates, standing in clear sight. Hopefully, even if she missed Usagi, the girl would see her. Quelling the rising disappointment, Minako stood her ground as the river of students slowed to a trickle. Just as she was about to give up, a familiar pair of blonde streamers snuck out of a corner of the building. Minako let out a silent squeal of glee. Her smile, however, quickly turned to a frown.

Usagi shuffled toward the gate with her eyes focused on the ground. Not once did she look up, even as Minako stepped right in front of her. Her strong arms wrapped around Usagi. Usagi looked up into the face of her best friend since birth. The distraught girl's face crumpled suddenly and she began to sob into Minako's shoulder. While this had not been the welcome she expected, Minako held tightly to her friend, whispering comforting words and running her fingers through Usagi's hair.

The sobs came unbidden, retching from her soul in horrible moans that made Minako go cold. Minako felt her own eyes prickling with tears, helpless to comfort her friend. She had never imagined such suffering possible. Yet, here Usagi cried as though everything in the world had been taken from her. Whatever had happened had truly devastated the small teen. Minako let out a breath of relief as the sobs quieted eventually. She squeezed her, hoping to add a bit of last minute encouragement.

Usagi giggled pathetically, wiping the wetness from her cheeks. Minako reached for a tissue in her satchel. With a mother's precision, she gently wiped Usagi's face of all evidence. With a final hug, she stepped back to take in her old friend.

A sniffle sounded in the air, making the two girls giggle. Usagi wiped at her nose before Minako could get the tissue near. "I'm sorry." Her voice cracked from the mucus in her throat. She cleared it and continued. "That's not really the proper way to greet a friend."

Minako just chuckled. "Don't worry about it," she said with slightly less perk than normal. She gently took Usagi's hand. "I know the best way to cheer you up. Is that ice cream parlor still around?" Usagi nodded, and the two made their way down the street.

Minako turned another corner, almost a block from the parlor, and stopped. She clapped her hands and spun around to face Usagi. "I thought I'd just surprise you today, but it looks like we got lucky!" she bubbled. She pulled Usagi forward. She missed the girl pressing a hand to the familiar burn resonating in her chest as they approached a young man.

An involuntary sigh escaped Mamoru's parted lips as he waited on the bus that would take him to work. His thoughts had been on the possible awakening of Serenity all day. Though he had tried to focus in his classes, Usagi's innocent face continued to fill his thoughts. Then, that beautiful face would crumple under the horror of Serenity's sin. He had only wished that she would not have the pain of her previous life and her decision to end it. Yet, for all the effort, he could not stop Serenity from awakening Usagi herself. Even Makoto, whom he had left in the park minutes ago, seemed to have no answers for him. No matter how he tried, no matter whose help he enlisted, it seemed there was no way to save Usagi from her destiny.

"Ma-mo-ru-chan!" Minako sang, running up to the Azabu youth. His thoughts suddenly dissolved with the familiar voice. He took in the older form of his childhood friend. She had aged beautifully, but her presence struck fear in his empty soul. _Venus knew the truth._

Minako hugged him, sending his thoughts into a frenzy as her chest pressed against his mouth and nose. Struggling for breath, he did not notice the pull on his soul until the giggling body had jumped away from him to stand next to Usagi. His heart burned at the vision of her in that cute uniform, yearning for the one person who could never be his. The dull ache of his empty soul sounded like sonar, beckoning the kinzuishou back to it.

"Isn't it great that we're all together again?" Minako chirped, oblivious to the tension growing between her two friends. Unfortunately, Usagi had failed to mention the fall out between her and Mamoru three years prior.

The bus was taking its time and Mamoru needed an escape or else the charming melody of the kinzuishou would overcome his fortitude. Closing his eyes, he summoned the greatest of his will. When they opened, they were as hard as the sharpest diamonds.

"Fail any tests today, Odango?" he sneered. _Please leave before I lose control_, he begged her silently

He saw the effect immediately in the way she recoiled from him. Even Minako looked perturbed by his behavior. The two stood in stunned silence, making his task all the more difficult. But the pull from the kinzuishou was getting stronger the longer they stood near him. It was the visible wince from Usagi as her hand pressed into the delicate flesh at her chest that finally convinced him to push onward. _You're hurting her the more you are near her._

"Really, Odango, it's amazing to see you on your own two feet. Normally by now you'd have fallen at least three times just walking down the block. And you might want to close your mouth, or the air in your head will escape and then you wouldn't have anything in that pretty head of yours." _Idiot_, he scolded. The small compliment embedded in his attack was lost on the two girls, however.

He opened his mouth to begin anew when the bus finally came into sight. When it rounded the corner, he was already on his feet. His sudden movement seemed to spur Minako to action and she lunged forward, catching his wrist. Instantly, he felt her pressing into his psyche. _Damn_. He had forgotten that Minako knew of his psychometry. Before he could stop them, the memories of his and Serenity's death flowed through the skin that linked them. But they were from a different perspective than his own. That was when he realized that he was seeing Venus' memories. Minako reeled, having not anticipated such an onslaught of emotion. She fell backwards as he jumped into the opened doors of the bus.

Her vision blinked out from the Tokyo streets and she found herself on a dusty surface with the stars winking at her in an endless night. Her body burned from numerous wounds. Her gloves were singed. She had overexerted herself, though she knew not how. Just as she began to take in the immense carnage around her, a noise attracted her attention. Soft footfalls were coming from behind her and she twisted in fear of another attack. She dropped into a defensive stance and prepared to kill whoever should come near her. Her chain glowed a tarnished gold in her hand, her body barely having the energy to launch an attack. When she saw who was coming toward her, she froze and her body temperature dropped ten degrees. For a moment, her heart was completely silent.

"Queen Serenity," she whispered, not believing she was seeing her great queen in the middle of the wreckage that was her kingdom. Her white dress was soaked with the blood of her people. Her eyes were distant and full of sorrow taking in the scene behind Venus. Her skin was paler than the dress she wore and her chest rose and fell in a quick rhythm. She showed all the damage that had been done to the kingdom. Venus knew in one look that everything was lost. _They had failed._

"Venus," the ancient queen spoke in a shallow whisper. Venus' sight had begun to grow fuzzy, but she fought to concentrate on this proud woman. "This cannot end here. You must follow your charge."

The queen was nothing more than a white blur to Minako, but she fought to hold onto the words floating across time. Something was stirring within her.

"Please, the world will need Serenity." The words were held aloft in a void as Minako's vision went black. She could feel the tug of consciousness pulling her away.

"Save your princess."

White light filled her vision as she felt its piercing heat press into her breast.

"Minako-chan!" The girl jumped and ran straight into a hard object. Usagi, who had been leaning over her, pressed a hand to her equally aching skull. The two sat there for a moment nursing their injuries and the awkwardness of the situation. Minako forced a giggle through her throat, throwing a hand to the back of her neck to finish the act. "Oops, sorry," she replied lamely. "I just saw this really hunky guy on the bus and I couldn't think of anything else."

Usagi looked at her skeptically. She hoisted the ditzy blonde off the bench and headed for the parlor with a new fervor. After Mamoru's verbal assault and Minako's strange trance, ice cream was looking more and more appealing. The two ordered their old favorites and scouted out a table on the fringe of the street. As it was already late afternoon, it was easy to sit and talk without the prying ears and eyes of fellow ice cream eaters.

Minako was through her third lick when she turned to Usagi in all seriousness. "Why didn't you tell me that Mamoru-chan was like that now? What happened?"

The small teen became tight-lipped and Minako, now staring at her, could see the reaction. With the little extra boost Mamoru had given her, she focused on the aura around her best friend. The colors overlapped and linked together, making it hard to see the true essence beneath. She bit her cheek. She was certain Usagi was displaying the wrong kinds of emotion. There was a sliver of white atop the girls shoulder and head, but it was overcome by spikes of intense red and gentle wisps of black. _Misery and fear._

She frowned. She had completely missed the waves of sadness circling her friend. Granted, letters never gave her a good indication of how Usagi was feeling. Minako cursed herself for leaving the girl in Tokyo. But never in a thousand years would she have expected Mamoru to turn on them. She sighed. Only Usagi seemed to know the reason for his sudden cold demeanor. Yet, from the tinges of lemon yellow, it seemed even Usagi did not know the reason for his change of heart.

The psychic blonde took a moment to remember the aura around Mamoru himself. At first, she saw the familiar rainbows that he had always carried as Usagi had always had that white overlay. The murky blue of insecurity came though. When he knew of her presence, however, he went grey, blocking out her perceptions of his aura. There had been a flicker of spiked red when he noticed Usagi with her. Then he was hulled up tight in his shell once more, hidden from her third eye. Though Usagi knew nothing of Minako's ability, Mamoru did; just as she knew of his psychometry. She had resorted to touching his skin to allow her to see whatever demons he was trying to hide. Minako frowned. There were too many secrets between them. _Nothing made sense anymore._

And then there was the vision that put her into a trance. The ancient queen and battle were so vivid, she could do nothing but believe they existed somewhere. With her lenient beliefs in psychic matters, she would venture to guess that touching Mamoru had propelled her into the memories of her previous life. It was a lot to take in at once. Especially when she just noticed that her friend and the graceful, soiled queen shared similar hairstyles. Her mindsight overlaid a primly postured older version of Usagi with silver hair and a shining emblem upon her forehead. Her eyes clouded and she barely moved her lips as she whispered. "Serenity."

Usagi jerked with a start, her aura flashing and bringing Minako out of her trance. She gave a pathetic smile, feeling sorry for ignoring the friend she hadn't seen in four years. "Usa-chan," she sang. "I think I need to get reacquainted with Tokyo."

A shaky, though genuine, smile graced the teen's face. Her blue eyes danced, though still haunted by the name whispered upon the wind. "Minako-chan," she mimicked her voice, "I think I can help with that."

Minako slouched in her hammock chair, staring into the coloring sky of Tokyo. Her aunt had been quite welcoming when she had decided to move back barely three days ago. Her parents, still living in London, were still mystified by their daughter's sudden impulse to return to the land of her birth. It had been quite a hectic period the last few days. Boxes lay strewn around the room, one or two empty. She no longer felt the excitement of unpacking them. Instead, Minako looked into the oncoming night, trying to figure out what had happened in her absence.

Her fingertips walked across the linked hearts upon her belly. The cold metal of the chain helped to ground her thoughts. She followed each curve and point until it brought her to the next. Back and forth, she had made two or three complete runs across her stomach and down the length of chain that rested against her thigh. Her mind was focused on her two childhood friends.

_She was right_, Minako realized with amazing clarity. It was not last week that she had turned fifteen. And, as had become her custom, she had seen the fortuneteller in a house hidden behind a large plaza. The voyage had become a tradition since her mother had taken her that first year in London. The blonde had been mesmerized by the colorful figures on the cards. This was the woman who had first explained Minako's gift. She had sent the young girl off with a book and instructions to return when she felt she had harnessed the ability to read the auras around people. In another year, Minako had returned ready to learn more.

This year, however, when the teen had entered that enchanting room full of incense and dimly lit by smoking oil lamps, something in the atmosphere had changed. Those familiar magenta eyes did not greet her with their usual smiling warmth. There was sadness there, but also resolution. It would not be the first time Minako had wondered why the woman covered herself in green silk, hiding both her hair and her face, when her eyes were so expressive.

An ornately wrapped arm, full of green silk with gold jewelry winding the fabric into a sleeve, beckoned Minako forward into her den. The cards were stacked neatly at the table. The seer waved an arm over the deck and, though no trinkets were visible, a twinkling melody played as though she wore a cloak of bells.

The cards fell in their pattern, but neither woman paid them any mind. There was the future on the table, nestled between the past and the present as both shaped it, but neither could bring themselves to look. One, for fear of knowing the reason for that sadness within the seer's eyes, and the other for the weight the knowledge brought. Finally, a pale hand flipped the first three cards on her left.

_The Past: The Fool and The Lovers, both down; Ten of Swords, up._

"Folly and deception that led to defeat and ruin. Yet," she pointed at the last card, "from the ashes rises the ability to recreate."

Her decorated hand hovered past the line of five cards to the next three to her right.

_The Present: Eight of Cups, Three of Pentacles, Seven of Wands, all up. Water, Earth, Fire. The awakening of Mercury, Jupiter and Mars._

"Putting the past behind you, success and reward for hard work, winning against the odds. A consortium of sisters."

Her fingers fell over those five lined cards, the middle crossed with a sixth card showing the ephemeral quality to seeing the future. That crossed card was the fact that not everything in the universe can be seen, even with a sixth sense or third eye. She flipped the top and bottom cards in the line.

_The Future: Ace of Swords, up; Queen of Swords, down. Air—Venus._

"Triumph, and knowledge of someone's pain or sadness." The sixth card was moved to the side and the last three cards were overturned under the dim light.

_The Hanged Man, the High Priestess, up; the Wheel of Fortune, down._

"Sacrifice necessary for rebirth," she tapped upon that upended man. "The wheel is destiny. The priestess is secrecy and mysteries yet to be revealed." And in a voice so soft Minako only heard it echo in her mind. "Serenity."

The final card cut across the angelic face of the high priestess, her blonde hair flowing about her form like a cape. "Death."

Minako stared at that ominous card cutting the beautiful woman in half. She had thought for a moment that the priestess looked a lot like Usagi. She looked out at the entire spread, seeing both the up and down cards. So much bad and good mixed together, she could not believe that this was her future. And there at the center was that absolutely heinous specter. Even though the seer was explaining that the death card did not actually mean death, but change. Yet sideways, there was no way to tell if the change was good or bad. The whole thing sent a chill through her spine. Her vision blackened as she found herself upon foreign soil.

Minako stared at the carnage around her, feeling tired and holding an arm to her side. Something behind her caught her attention and she slid into a defensive stance. Before she could make out the form she winked out of that memory and into the highly incensed room of the seer. There was only one thought in her mind as the heavy scents of the room became a burden to her breathing. She choked on the thick smoke, tumbling away from the table and the woman who would not meet her eyes. Minako stumbled all the way home. The next few days her mind was muddled and nothing could shake the single thought running through her mind. _Usagi_.

_Destiny_.

Minako pressed a hand into her thigh, closing her eyes in thought. The fortuneteller had said it like the world hinged upon her returning to Tokyo. Though Minako could not dispute the underlying power emitting from the metropolis like a thick fog, its nature was unknown to her. She could not distinguish a malign or benign character. The essence was simply there, as natural in its existence as she was herself.

She let out a sigh, realizing her thoughts were much too complex for a teenager. Whatever it was she felt, the power was dormant. But even in its latent state it was an awesome force. The teen was afraid to see what it could do if awakened.

Her lithe fingers padded across her legs, noticing something. Looking down, Minako was surprised at the absence of her white cat. Her sky blue eyes scanned the room, but there was no sign of her companion. In a fit of panic, she began frantically searching the house. Finally, her aunt admitted to leaving the door open for a time, having forgotten that there was an animal present.

A sob clogged her throat as she called the only person she knew. Artemis was out in Tokyo after only being in the city for a few hours. She had no idea if he would know his way home, or if he even knew that her aunt's house was home now.

"Usa-chan," she hiccupped when the other girl came on the line. There were a few concerned questions from her friend before Minako uttered a tearful explanation. "Artemis escaped. What if he went into the street? Or a dog ate him? What if he ate some bad food out of a dumpster and is curled up in an alley? What if he's hitchhiking back to London?"

Her cheeks were wet when Usagi came to the door twenty minutes later. The two hugged tightly before toughening up and going out into the night to find the wayward feline.


	13. Venus and Serenity

So, I know you've all heard that slow and steady win the race and that patience is a virtue. This chapter is a great reason why. It has both action and plot advancement. A little tidbit to wet your whistles as we wind down this fanfic. Nearly everyone is in this chapter, minus Nephrite and Motoki. Poor guys got left out. Guess they should have bribed me like the others :D

So, here both Venus and Serenity take center-stage. And what might the awakening of Serenity mean for Mamoru's crusade to keep her sealed? But first! Who was that mysterious fortuneteller and how does she fit into things? What have the generals been up to lately? And just where is Artemis? Why would he go running through Tokyo if he had never been there before?

Also, I just seemed to realise that I've been using asterisks to put divisions in my chapters and they don't show up on formatting. Kinda lame. So, now I get to go back and upload all the old chapters with new divisions... yay x.x

Next week is a little more talking, a little more brooding, and the start of the end. :)

Enjoy and review.

- Lillie Bell  
(next update: 30 Sept. 2007)

* * *

_Absolution:  
Venus and Serenity_

Two weeks prior, after Minako's exit from the seer's small, scented room, Meiou Setsuna sat back from the spread on the table. The movement, as they all were, was accompanied by the tinkling melody of the small coins hanging inside her robes. She closed her eyes, envisioning absolute nothingness before opening them again, pretending like this exercise would change the lay of the cards.

No matter how many spreads she threw, no matter how greatly she shuffled, it was always this same result. Her fingertips touched _Death_, that card representing ultimate change sitting between the chaos of the past and the hope of the present. But combined with _Swords_, the suit that matched Minako's own awakening, there was an ominous twinge to the reading. _Something for nothing is impossible. The cards show the ultimate sacrifice to create the greatest change._

She lowered her eyes. This was not the first time she cursed her gift. Seeing the future, though her powers were infant, was a painful talent. Just as she could see Usagi's future, Setsuna could also see her own. She knew all that was expected of her: taking over the life of the current Pluto who would die by stopping time to save Crystal Tokyo. She even knew when her own death would happen.

A shimmer in the darkness, a small shift in the flow of time that rang through her connected core, and the fortuneteller knew she was no longer alone in the silken chamber. She did not turn toward her guest, simply stared ahead at those agonizing cards. The visitor would speak whenever the fancy took her. Sailor Pluto could wait for centuries.

But Setsuna did not have that immeasurable patience as yet, therefore she spoke first. "She was the last to be awakened." She felt a nod from the corner behind her. A few strands of green hair fell into the lamplight from the motion.

"The princess shall be protected," Setsuna added in a monotone, continuing what was becoming a monologue. She itched to view the expression on her visitor's face, but she refrained. She had always been able to see past the schooled neutrality on her own face. Recently, the sadness in Pluto's magenta eyes chilled her. Setsuna could not stand to look at the woman she was expected to become.

"Will the past not repeat itself? What is to become of his majesty?" Setsuna inquired. There was never a sign of Endymion or his fate in the cards, no matter how many decks her counterpart asked her to throw.

There was no answer. Setsuna, however, had tired of the cold silence and the uncertainty in their actions. _What had they awakened Venus for?_ Unlike the immortally detached Sailor Pluto, Setsuna was living a human life. She knew Minako would forsake her dreams and devote her life to the princess, just as the other senshi had done. If taking that life away only served to repeat the mistakes of the past then how could Setsuna condone her own actions? "Is it fair to destroy their new lives like this?" she whispered.

An instant chill flooded the room. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled under the venomous gaze of the senshi. Setsuna sighed; she had always been the only person to produce such ire from the stoic soldier.

"You still have much to learn," Pluto said patronizingly. The bite did not dissipate as she continued, "Your dreams tell you why we must try even if our efforts are futile. Is the future that sits in your mind's eye not worth the sacrifice?"

"But is it worth any sacrifice? Even _hers_?" Setsuna countered, whirling around to face the powerful form of Sailor Pluto. "Even _yours_, gracious Pluto?"

In those magenta eyes flashed an emotion so fleeting Setsuna only caught its mere existence. That familiar, all-engulfing sadness took over, the kind that threatened to eat Setsuna's soul. _Would protecting the future give her nothing but sorrow as well?_

"Those two must survive for the world to prosper. Only they have the power to defend this universe. The prospect of peace they bring for the future is worth more than any person's life."

_These were the same thoughts of Queen Serenity when she had surrendered her kingdom to reincarnate the princess and her court._ Setsuna was thin-lipped. All of their conversations always reached this same apex. And she always felt trumped by the older senshi. Finally, she put an end to their staring contest, looking away into the flickering oil lamp to her side. "I cannot be you." _I still care about the lives we destroy._

"In time your heart will harden to the eternity that you serve."

_What a lie. _Setsuna knew the real cause of that acute sadness that lingered about the time senshi. Though the deaths of the princess, queen, and court weighed on her mind, Pluto clung to the hope that Crystal Tokyo was still at hand. In this way, there was only the death of Queen Serenity to mourn and one thousand years had easily healed that wound. No, there was another deeper reason. There was one weakness that would ultimately kill Sailor Pluto and lead to the rise of Meiou Setsuna as the time guardian.

_Her heart was taken by the man she will give her life for in another century._

This, as well as the ascension of Setsuna, had always been in the cards since she started throwing tarot spreads.

Setsuna wanted to call Pluto a hypocrite, knowing the truth of her heart. But there was no will in her soul to do so. The senshi lived silently with her unrequited love, knowing full well one day it would kill her. Yet, she was happy that her last act could save him and the future she was fighting so hard to create. That level of devotion frightened Setsuna. Secretly, she prayed she would not fall under the same curse.

Pluto stepped forward, her white suit and silken green skirt shining in the lamplight. She pressed her gloved hand to the woman's shoulder. "You shall guard a different time. The ways of your heart cannot be changed, but to the greatest of your power they must be ignored. Nothing can sway the future you are charged to protect. And if you must manipulate it into being, then that is what you must do."

As the two stared into each other's eyes, taking in the loneliness and pain that lived there, only one thought rang through Setsuna's mind.

_This is the life she has resigned herself to. Can I do the same?_

---------

Kunzite pulled the heavy curtain aside as an emaciated Jadeite was led into the massive tent. Zoisite stumbled, the man over his shoulder pitching forward and nearly falling. With a grunt, he levied Jadeite higher and steadied himself. Once his feet were firmly planted, he raised to his proper height and trudged a few meters forward. Kunzite simply watched with those empty charcoal eyes.

For his part, Zoisite was trying hard to ignore the small, nearly lifeless body clinging to him. Jadeite's gaunt fingers gripped him with a strength so slight he barely felt the cloth pinch. He tried to ignore the hip bones pressing into his own or the frail chest wheezing thin, almost indistinguishable breaths past his sensitive ears. Zoisite moved slowly, careful not to aggravate the wounds that refused to heal. He grabbed a thigh, the skin pliant beneath his sure palms. Jadeite barely had the strength or will to stay alive, let alone perform a divination.

"Zoisite, Jadeite," a soft voice cooed behind a pink drape. The shadow was there, but no face to put to that gentle sound.

"Metallia-sama," he bowed.

"Do you wish to die, Jadeite?" The voice was coated in sweetness that belied the evil beneath.

The frail response whispered on the wind in that void of space. "He has chosen her once again."

A slender hand issued from the silken curtain and set gently on the man's knee. "Then he has forsaken his duty once again. He has betrayed you for the last time." The white palm began to glow black as purple ribbons spun in the air. "Come, Jadeite. You have already mourned your lost prince. Now is the time to fulfill your promise to me." The ribbons gently encased the broken general, infusing him with life-giving energy. "With your death, Endymion-sama will have won."

As the ribbons receded, the man's hazel eyes flashed that familiar pupil-less, black pitch. A peel of fear, cold as ice, raced up Zoisite's spine. It had not been his intention to sell his comrade over to the demon. He had only come out of necessity. The return of the hazel coloring in Jadeite's eyes, however, had him issuing a breath of relief. Yet, that essence now slept within the youngest general and could be called upon at any time.

"Jadeite," Metallia purred in that stolen voice. "Tell me where the princess is. Once she is dead Endymion will return to you."

Zoisite frowned. It had been Jadeite who had announced that this new incarnation held no qualms with delivering punishment for their betrayal. But he did not voice their disagreement as Jadeite tapped into his sixth sense granted by Metallia. It did not matter what they did now. They had resigned themselves to their fate.

_Is this what fate deigned for us? Have we been damned since the beginning? Were we totally forsaken?_

"I know where," the seer announced with a flourish. He began to head for the door when that gentle voice stopped him.

"Send the youma, Jadeite. It is best we know who our enemies are. If she indeed has the ginzuishou she will be quite the opponent."

The three men bowed, exiting the presence of their master and queen.

---------

Green eyes watched the black cat pace back and forth, creating little puffs of pollen as her slick legs brushed against the upturned petals. Seeing the lithe figure of Luna perform a monologue of the most recent occurrences was interesting. More so, was how attractive she was now that she was no longer a kitten under his tutelage. Her voice squeaked with the last vestiges of youth as her feline curves entranced him. She had aged into a beautiful female, one that caught much attention, and so Artemis could not be completely faulted when he began to focus more on the sensuous body than the words pouring from her saucily upturned mouth.

"Artemis!" she belted seeing his eyes glazed over and staring at her whiskers. She thanked the Gods that she had fur dark enough to cover her blush. Though they aged much differently from humans, it was still quite awkward for Luna to see that lust-filled gaze from the man who had guided her as a babe.

The white cat, however, did not have the luxury of dark fur to hide behind and his boyish blush came over the bridge of his pink nose and cascaded down his puffed cheeks. His whiskers twitched at the heat but he was fixed upon her youthful face, not very much ashamed at being caught. She was too good a catch to let go. And though she did not remember their past, he was resolved not to make the same mistakes. Then, he had thought that they would have time to court eventually. There was always legislation or negotiation or this and that ambassador that had taken precedence. But now he knew there wasn't always tomorrow. He would not back down this time.

"Luna," he said softly in that immortally patient voice he didn't know always sent shivers down his companion's spine. "We are nearly complete. Whatever obstacles are before us, we will defeat them."

"But Mamoru-san—"

"Let the Earth King do as he likes," he interrupted. Though he knew nothing of the role Endymion had played in the past, he could not question that his presence must serve some purpose. "There is a reason we have all assembled at this time. If the king wishes to guard his kingdom, so be it. We have protected the Earth too long for her to support our destruction."

He took a breath. "We may need all the help we can get, Luna. The King of Earth, no matter how infant, could be our greatest ally against Metallia."

"But that's just it," her voice was soft, confused. "I sense no great power from him. Only once have I felt him truly commune with this planet." _And that was to protect Usagi when the temple had collapsed, _she thought.

"I never said we had to trust him," he nuzzled her, comforting her fears but sparking another hidden blush. "But his aid is immeasurable until the ginzuishou is found, Venus is awakened, and we discover the true nature of our enemies."

"And until then we just hope they don't send anything we can't handle," she responded morbidly.

_Faith, Luna,_ he chided silently, cleaning her neck with his bristled tongue. _Together, our girls can do anything._

---------

A pair of blondes, nearly twins, collapsed upon a park bench. The beauty of the blossoming trees, illuminated by the many light posts, was lost on the two teenagers.

"We've been all over," Usagi cried. She looked up at the night sky where only the most intense stars came through the city's lights.

"I know," Minako mirrored. She was exhausted with worry, but also with the running they'd been doing for the past two hours. They had combed the streets but there was no sign of the cat. A few white strays had hissed at them when they approached but none held the telltale crescent mark present on Artemis' forehead.

Minako began to sniffle at first, before she felt the familiar prickle at the corners of her eyes. She didn't know she was sobbing until Usagi's arms were around her shoulders and she was pressed into her companion's soft neck. Small fingers were running through her long hair as assuring words were whispered into her ear.

Neither noticed the exact opposite image they made from the scene in the schoolyard barely five hours prior. Unfortunately, they also did not notice the pack of youma watching them from the bushes.

"There's two of them," Zoisite pointed out hovering above the green space.

"I know," Jadeite ground out, his short temper flaring, and once again focused on the embracing girls.

After a few moments of silence, Zoisite drawled. "You can't tell which one is the princess, can you?" The glare was all he needed as an answer. "There is only one way to find out." He turned to the bushes, taking note of the three youma crouched and ready to attack.

"Take them both," Jadeite said in a strange tongue. The youma braced themselves before springing upon the two girls. Zoisite tried to ignore the unnaturally sinister glee that came over his companion's face.

Though their first instincts had been to scream, the two girls had enough sense to run. Trees, fountains, benches flew past as the youma closed in on them. Usagi stumbled, but Minako's hand was on her wrist, pulling her up with adrenaline-fueled strength. All they heard was the pounding of their hearts and the breathing of the youma, like the growls of rabid dogs, at their heels.

Rounding a corner, the girls screamed as one of the youma blocked their pathway. Backing up to the walls encasing the park, Minako instinctively pressed Usagi behind her. Her legs fell into a defensive stance, her hands making ready to fend off any sudden attacks.

Her body moved of its own accord when a single youma charged. A quick duck and she had reversed its momentum, sending it sputtering away with skill that rivaled a karate master. _What is this? _She had never set foot in a self-defense class. Usagi whimpered behind her, spurring Minako to take advantage of her innate ability.

"That one's like a firecat," Zoisite noted, watching as Minako fended off the two youma. He scrutinized the youma as another charged her once again. "Are they testing her?"

He looked to his companion. Jadeite's eyes were closed, his face serene, as his fingers clasped with his forefingers extended. _Dousing…saving time till he can sense which is the princess_. Though Zoisite hated to admit it, the power Metallia had infused in the youngest general appeared to renew his focus. _It may have even made him smarter._

Zoisite tossed that idea out when Jadeite dove to the ground at breakneck speed. He ran a few paces before stopping his momentum. His hazel eyes burned black with power as he raised a slender finger in the air. The youma sat poised at his elbow, ready for the real battle to begin. "Her," he stated pointing distinctly at Usagi.

A cry erupted from the youma, one so maniacal and animal in nature it struck absolute terror into the hearts of the two teens. One of the wolf-like youma sat on its haunches before pouncing at Usagi, claws extended. Minako crossed her arms, taking the brunt of that huge chest, crushing the two against the cold cement. She kicked to remove the weight on her lungs. The other two were right behind the first, scratching at her, ignoring her now powerless punches. Their intention was clear.

One youma, annoyed by a well placed heel, backhanded Minako, flinging the girl a few meters to the side. She pressed a hand to the deep cut across her right cheek and eye and over the bridge of her nose. Blood flowed but she was trained on the cowering body of her best friend lying beneath the drooling youma. Though her body ached, Minako forced herself to her feet. Blood fanned out across her chest, the fabric of her shirt hungrily drinking in her lifeblood. With a strangled battle cry, she launched into the three youma poised to mangle Usagi.

Distantly she felt the prickle of sharp hairs in her mouth and tasted the brine of blood. Anything she could grab she assaulted. She did not feel their claws sinking into her flesh, their teeth finding their way through skin and bone easily. There was only emotion, only one goal, which drove her. _Protect_.

And just as she began to fight off the dizziness, her blood loss, and the fatigue of muscles that had nothing left to give, a sparkling melody began to play. Something made of laughter and love that spread through her, invigorating her immobile limbs. With sure hands, she grasped that melody, her callous hands pulling upon the chord that sang with her soul's power. Her fingers danced across the hearts chained to her stomach as the world burst into yellow light.

---------

A bright yellow chain encased the two generals that had just arrived on the battle scene. Venus infused that string with her burning energy, the two men screaming and writhing in pain. In the corner of her eye, she watched Endymion dragging Serenity away. Best as she tried, she could not ignore his hobbling gate.

The snap of a black whip sent her reeling back. She slid across the ground, tasting the grit of Moon dust between her teeth. Her chain returned to her hands as she strung it before her, blocking the next attack from that dark power. Flames to her right let her know Mars fought her own fierce battle with the younger general.

Venus stood at her full height, taking in the emotionless face of Kunzite. Her forearm puffed with welts from her first encounter with his whip. "That is the only mark you will have on me," she vowed. His only response was a slight sneer before they were fighting in earnest.

Flames flew at her as she fended off that dark whip. In a quick flip, she had Kunzite impaled by his own general's fire blade. She pressed a kiss to her fist, her index and little fingers extended, before blasting them both with a powerful burst of her yellow-white energy. A small nova burned before her eyes, but she continued to channel her energy into the attack.

When she could give no more, Venus fell to her knees. The charred body of Kunzite fell near her, along with that of Jadeite, passed out from the fatigue of defending her attack. She breathed heavily, fighting off the unconsciousness and exhaustion trying to take her. She crawled to the body of her companion, Sailor Mars. There was no life in the mutilated body, burnt from the fire blade and dark whip. The last senshi forced herself to her feet before stumbling to the three bodies in the distance. Her hand stretched out to one of the two women lying upon the ground, black ribbons encasing her small body.

"Serenity."

---------

From the bright yellow light emerged the form of Sailor Venus wielding her chain about her. The youma disintegrated to dust around her. As the power from her transformation faded, she stumbled. Her knees threatened to collapse, even in her stronger form. Truly, she had exerted herself beyond her limits. One leg buckled, then the other, and she was left sprawled on the ground, skirt failing to cover her thighs. But that chain was always clenched tightly and her eyes remained unwavering.

Jadeite pulled at his waist bringing forth the perfectly sculpted fire blade. The blaze lit up his face in the night, the red flames dancing within his black eyes.

"I remember you," he said softly, his voice dripping with venom. "You are to blame for Kunzite." He moved into a battle stance. "I will kill the princess you protect. I will free my master!"

Venus met his lunge head on, raising herself on her knees and parrying his thrusts with her chain. The yellow hearts sizzled when met with the inferno upon his blade, each power fighting to overcome the other. Zoisite frowned at his comrade for his recklessness. An eye was trained on Venus, watching the girl fend off the general even in her vastly weakened state. Yes, she had been the one to kill Kunzite, allowing him to be enslaved by Metallia. Yet, unlike Jadeite who challenged that power, Zoisite knew not to back a cat into a corner. Venus was a fierce warrior and with her princess on the line would not withhold her punishment should the opportunity present itself.

However, having lost the depth perception afforded by having two working eyes, Venus missed a block to his fire blade. Instantly, she felt the melting of suit and then skin as he drove the sword deep into her side. Blood surged out of her mouth. She felt a distinct drowning sensation and knew he had punctured her lung. He swung his arm into an arch, ready to cleave, when Jupiter's lightning struck him. The other senshi had arrived too late.

Venus fell back to the ground. Usagi's face drifted into her waning vision. Tears dripped onto Venus' face. She raised her hand toward her vanishing friend. "Serenity," she gasped before everything ceased to be.

---

"No," Usagi whispered watching the blood pooling around the girl's body. "No." Her eyes were seeing the body of an older Mizuno Ami, shattered from within her icy tomb. "No." She could feel the blood of the strong Kino Makoto, growing cold upon her dress as the liquid left the woman. "No." The bruised body of the Shinto priestess who had thrown an ofuda on her forehead was facedown with welts upon her body. "No." Those purple ribbons cut into Usagi's throat, restricting her air passageways and defiling her soul with their sinful musings.

_Everyone has left you._

_You are alone._

"No."

_They died for you._

_What can you do for them?_

_How can you ever repay their love? Their devotion?_

_You have failed at the only thing you were born to do._

"No."

_You are already dead._

"No!" Usagi screamed, fighting against the images in her mind, the guilt in her heart, and the sin of her soul.

_They died protecting you_, that dark voice whispered.

_Then I shall protect them. They will not lose their lives to me ever again!_

And a brilliant white light lit up Tokyo. It embraced the senshi before making its way toward the battle-hungry Jadeite. Ignorant of his dangerous position, he made to attack the last senshi swallowed by the silver light when Zoisite's surprisingly strong arms wrapped around his chest. He hauled the younger general into the night, far away from the awakened princess and her cleansing light.

"Princess." The three senshi gasped instantly falling upon one knee.

The light receded back to its source, showing a beautiful girl encased in a flowing white gown. Usagi's hands were crossed over her chest, her body hunched slightly as though warding off some inner intrusion. The long strands of crystalline white hair swayed in the aura emanating from her. Slowly, her lids opened and she looked at her kneeling senshi. She straightened, landing softly upon the ground. The feel of soil between her naked toes was lost on her, however, when she found the mangled body of Sailor Venus.

"Minako!" she cried and fell upon her friend's body. Through the cracked and bleeding lips, shallow breaths issued. Her chest barely moved with the motion. Holding her wrist, Usagi barely felt a pulse coming through the clammy flesh. She was poised to scream until the rustling of a cape and a tuxedo jacket interrupted her. Usagi stared as a masked man bent before her best friend.

Mamoru hid his grimace as he took in the broken form of Sailor Venus. He could make out the pale shape of Aino Minako beneath the glamour. He shuddered at what the youma had done to her beautiful face. His eyes closed as he pulled off a white glove. Gently he pressed his hand into the deep wound at her side. The warmth of her blood brought him to his knees and it was with great effort that he pressed deeper. Minako's face contorted in pain, showing a semiconscious state. He exhaled greatly. He didn't know how much time he had to heal her. He wasn't sure if death had not already set up her. He shook himself, determined to save her even if he had to wrestle her from death's grasp.

Desperately, he worked the golden tendrils of his healing power through her. With that thread he sutured her skin and organs back together, fusing her broken bones and giving her burnt flesh rapid growth. He pushed onward, trying to save as much as possible before time ran out. He no longer worried about being intrusive and pushed himself more and more into her, healing every last wound. He was too crazed to tell if he was doing any good. He was only thinking of the race against time and fate.

_You can't die, Mina-chan!_ his mind screamed. His haggard breaths were lost to him as he continued to give his life energy to his childhood friend. His second hand raised and he pressed it upon her torn cheek. The skin closed, leaving only tinsel thin scars. He continued on, pushing more of his essence into her, feeding her. Mamoru didn't realize how little he was leaving for his own body.

Small but strong fingers began to pull at his shoulders. He ignored them at first, focused on making his friend well. The pull became a push and suddenly there were two pairs of hands. But he was too distraught to notice them. He didn't stop when the body beneath his hands shifted or began to breathe normally. Only one thing broke him of his trance, and that was the astral voice of Minako that screamed for him to stop, resounding through his eyes and straight into his soulless heart through their flesh link.

Tuxedo Kamen stumbled away from the two blondes, still quite connected to Minako. Her attention was taken, however, when Usagi enveloped her in a bone crushing embrace. "Usa-chan," she wheezed.

Usagi turned to the tuxedo-clad man. "Thank you," she said softly, bowing her head. "You have saved one of mine. Please let me know how I may repay your kindness."

For once in his life, Mamoru was immensely glad for his formal disguise. He was certain Usagi would have seen the heartbreak in his eyes right then. She did not remember him. Though the true princess had awakened, the seal forged and maintained by his unrelenting will had not released her memories of Endymion. He was now more alone than he had ever been. He wished desperately that she had remembered him, even if it might cause her death. This moment of weakness frightened him. When had he come so close to jeopardizing his vow?

"Farewell," he announced, bowing before alighting to the rooftops far away from the beautiful friend his heart longed for and the entrancing melody of the kinzuishou that would cause her to sin again.

Minako scrutinized him as he stumbled away. Though to the rest of him he looked exhausted, she knew that his clumsiness was not from channeling his energy to her. There was something more to all this that Mamoru wasn't telling her. She had seen the nearly visible wince when Serenity acknowledged his act, but not him. It seemed strange to her that Usagi had not remembered Endymion. She frowned before plastering on a smile for Usagi who was flitting around her, checking her wounds in her ignorant manner. When the blonde had been satisfied that her best friend was sound, they headed out of the park. Minako fell behind the other girls, walking slowly as Usagi caught up with her other senshi. Her mind was still on Mamoru and his strange behavior. She looked into the night, her hands on her hips.

_I'll find out, Mamoru-chan,_ she promised._ I'll find out why you betrayed us._

* * *

Note: I wanted to take a moment to talk about Pluto and Setsuna. I'm taking a bit of speculation from the manga. ChibiUsa says that the "new" Pluto of the S season is not quite like the Pu she knew from Crystal Tokyo. Hence, no matter if Pluto dies there is always a need for a time guardian. Setsuna is that person who will take up the next reign. She is no different in looks than Pluto. The only difference is that she has led a moderately normal human life whereas Pluto has watched over several millennia. In this way, Setsuna is more sensitive to what they're doing. Years of loneliness and knowing what the future holds have made Pluto quite single-minded, but also almost insensitive to the people she is manipulating. I just thought it was fun, and it was a little explanation as to why Minako up and left her parents and London so quickly. :) Let me know your thoughts!

Note #2: After seeing some of the reviews today, I just wanted to comment that though the end of this chapter may seem quickly written, next chapter deals with everything afterwards. Including Mamoru's responce to Serenity's awakening :) Not to worry, my dears, I would not simply gloss over such an important moment in the story! Also, for someone who mentioned Serenity's own awakening was quite short. Well, she already had some memories, so she was like half-Serenity already :P So, there wasn't much to her awakening. That and, if you noticed, this is the first time I've given you a peek into Usagi/Serenity's mind. Too see too much could kill you! ... or I could just make you sit on the edges of your chairs a bit more as you wonder what's going on in that silly mind of hers ;)

See you all next week!


	14. Minako and Mamoru

Here we are, winding down to the final chapters. We're going to explore Mamoru's reaction and a little Venus justice. After all, Mamoru and Minako have not seen each other in three years. I wonder what they might have to say to one another :P Plus, we get to see how Mamoru was awakened, and what exactly Endymion wants him to do. For anyone who remembers me complaining about Mamoru's character, you'll see why ;)

Also, for those of you who have this story on alert: forgive me, but I'm going back through and putting in the correct section breakers since the site doesn't like astericks x.x So, ignore the spam in your box saying ch's 1-13 have been uploaded x.x; I don't know when I'll do this.. but it'll be in the next 5 days because that's when the first chapter leaves my document folder. Again, I'm sorry for the annoyance :(

Just in answer to some reviews:

- If you didn't like Setsuna or Pluto in the last chapter, don't fear. They don't do much :P My list of 'what-if's got longer and the two became part of the story. They aren't integral except in getting Minako to Tokyo. So, it's no big deal if they were a little too OOC :)

- Heehee, I'm going to explain myself. Sometimes I get carried away with words and want to use something really strong to convey my meaning. That last sentence in the previous chapter was unbeta-ed. Basically, I was saying Mamoru had betrayed their friendship, not their cause. There's a bit more of it in this chapter as he knows he has and he grapples with that. I'm sorry for the confusion. :( But I still think it was probably the right word to use. (You'll see in the bloopers, there's one point I called the generals 'martyrs' and was promptly shot down :P It was funny... in that 'I've known you sine grade school and am being silly and mean at the same time' sort of way.)

- As far as Usagi's hasty awakening... You can't handle the truth!! Haha, no. :P I'm not ready for y'all to see what's going on inside of Usagi's mind just yet. You got a glimpse, and that's it. You'll get much more out of the next chapter :D so I'm willing to let you wait and mull over what our main character might be doing. After all, this entire story revolves around her ;)

Now I know the school year has started (oh, yes, I am terribly aware X.x) but I absolutely love your reviews :) Reviews make the writer happy and then she gets her epilogue finished early :D And wouldn't that be nice? ;P

Well, that's all from me. Go read the story! That's what you're here for, right? ;)

Enjoy and review!

- Lillie Bell  
(next update: 6 Oct. 2007; will probably be Sunday because I'm going to a friend's art show Friday night and then I have an appointment with a photographer on Saturday. And then I have to drive home... and probably play WoW until 3am :P Just so you know :)_  
_

* * *

_Absolution:  
Minako and Mamoru_

Weeks later, as the air turned cold and the leaves began to change into a myriad of colors, the group of reincarnated princesses was a close-knit family once again. The newest addition, Aino Minako, easily fell into her role as senshi and leader of the inner guard of Serenity. Usagi had appeared to come to terms with her royal past. She had accepted the girls back, though it seemed her awakening had been an invitation for them to stalk her through each and every waking moment. More than once they had come busting through her window when she had failed to answer a call only to find she was relaxing in the bath.

They spent the weeks getting to know one another and training. The girls were eager to teach Usagi self-defense under the veil of dire circumstances. Motoki was more than happy to work with Makoto designing protein shakes and planning out extreme training regimes. The arcade worker was their only link to Mamoru as he had quickly disappeared after Serenity's awakening.

-----------

Makoto frowned at the small basket in her hand. She had personally threaded it with a cute pink ribbon and filled it with cookies in the shapes of their planetary symbols. Frosting decorated the cookies with their respective colors. She had spent a good two days work filling the basket with plastic grass and baking the cookies. There were even little bunny candies inside the grass to represent Usagi.

She held the basket high, watching the fluorescent light stream through the pink bow on the top. Still, she frowned.

"Stop staring at it, and go give it to him," Minako chided at her side. They were hiding behind the moving wall in the control center. Around the corner, working tirelessly, was Motoki. A spark flew from the unit he was working on and he jumped into the air. His metal chair went clattering to the floor. The girls watched him as he put out the small electrical fire. He danced around with a thick blanket trying to smother the tiny white-green flames.

Minako chuckled at his antics. "See? Look at all he's done for us," she elbowed her companion. "I think we should thank him."

Makoto shoved the basket into Minako's chest. "Here."

"Oh no, no, no," she protested, her arms wavering as the wood receded from her collar bone. Makoto seemed to have forgotten how tall she was and in shoving the basket at her friend had nearly taken her nose with it. Minako gently pushed the gift at the brunette.

"Why does it have to be from me?" Makoto's frown deepened. She sighed and pointed at the cookies. "They're not even any good. I could tell when I baked them that they weren't the best." _Everything I cook is bland now_, she thought solemnly.

"Mako-chan," Minako whined. "Motoki-kun is a guy—a college guy at that. He'll eat anything as long as it's free."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Stop complaining!" Minako shoved the reluctant senshi into the control room. "Go get him!" she whispered enthusiastically.

Makoto was about to turned and pummel the blonde when Motoki's voice stopped her. He had swiveled in his chair and was smiling pleasantly at her. Quickly, she hid the basket behind her.

"Hello," she responded shyly.

Minako cursed as the two stared at one another. An uncomfortable silence drug on until the blonde thought she was going to have to find a long pole to move Makoto's arm. If the thunder senshi would just pull the basket out and give it to Motoki everything would work out perfectly. _But, no,_ she thought, _Mako-chan has to go and make things difficult._

Motoki put an arm behind his head, making the awkwardness of the situation all the more prominent. With an uneasy chuckle he asked: "What did the girls think of the new shakes?"

The brunette's shoulders relaxed a bit, though she still looked on edge. "They liked them. They're really helping too. I can start to see muscle mass and already I think the girls notice they can last longer fighting one another." Suddenly, she saw an opening to give the gift. Awkwardly, she thrust her arm out, bowing low, as the basket swayed from her force. "Thank you so much for your help!"

The man stared at the bent senshi before him and the basket on her arm. A few cookies had fallen to the floor when she had nearly thrown the present into his lap. His surprise was only muted when he replied, cautiously taking the basket from her lest she assault him with it. "It's not a problem."

He munched on a cookie, a smile overtaking his face. "These are really good!"

He stood, setting the basket on the counter as he took another bite of the cookie in his hand. As Motoki neared her, Makoto froze. He slung one arm around her shoulder, the palm resting at the small of her back. She stood stiff, not knowing what to do. His head turned from her shoulder, towards her face. She couldn't stop the blush that rose to her cheeks. Her eyes were as big as saucers as his lips came within centimeters of her skin. _What was he doing?_

"Score!" Minako whispered excitedly as Motoki pulled the brunette into a casual hug. He turned his face, nearing the girl's lips. Minako blushed under the circumstances, having never expected it to go this far. She had always noticed the change in auras when the two were together and had finally goaded Makoto into giving a thank you gift to Motoki. Maybe it wasn't the most honest way to get the two to interact. But if it were up to them, they would take another millennium to realize their feelings.

"I'll make sure to share them with Mamoru," Motoki whispered, breaking Makoto out of her trance. She didn't relax, but her eyes blinked back to their normal size. Before she had quite comprehended him, he was walking back to the console. She stood there bewildered as he went back to rewiring the small unit. Instinctively her feet turned her body and led her out of the room.

As she rounded the corner, she saw Minako's pout.

"Miss."

Makoto scowled at the blonde teen. Sensing her aura flare up, Minako quickly skipped away from the fuming senshi. The brunette's hands clenched and she followed her companion into the training room. She had a lot of anger and strange emotions to get through today.

Someone save whomever she was fighting.

---

"Mako-chan seemed pretty mad today," Usagi stated as Minako walked her home. She pointed at Minako's bruised rib, but knew the brunette had faired worse. Minako shrugged in response, though Usagi swore she saw the shadow of a smirk on her friend's lips.

"Where have Luna and Artemis been?" Usagi asked.

"Pouring over records and tales of the ginzuishou." _The key to defeating the Dark Kingdom_, she thought solemnly.

"Do you think we'll find it?" Usagi asked after a time.

"I don't know." Minako could not hide her uncertainty. That the crystal had not been awakened with Serenity was perplexing indeed. They had even tried meditating to call forth the power within the ancient jewel, but Usagi was never able to connect to it. There was no question that she _should_ be able to channel it, but something was blocking her. Minako noted the aura of sadness floating around her best friend.

"Don't worry," she chirped, "we'll find it eventually." _Hopefully before the Dark Kingdom finds Serenity_, she added to herself.

The girls said their goodbyes, promising to meet tomorrow after school. Minako swiveled, tilting her face to the dark night. The stars winked at her as she peered at them. She wrapped her arms around herself as a chilling wind kicked up. Her feet carried her away from the front door when a motion in the night caught her attention. Something had just landed on the neighbor's roof right across from Usagi's bedroom window. Instantly, she was on high alert. Minako pulled on that string inside of her, feeling her skin burning with the brightness of a super nova as her aura lit up the night. In a moment, Sailor Venus was crouched behind the adjacent house, chain in hand. She vaulted onto the roof, coming up behind the figure looking down into Usagi's open window. Those yellow hearts were pulled taut between her extended arms.

-------

It had been weeks since he had vowed to stay away from her. He had been days without sleep, agonizing over his own betrayal. Ever since he regained the last memories of his past life over ten years ago he had promised to protect her. Their fathers' close friendship had made them friends from birth. Minako, whose mother shared a close relationship with Usagi's, was the same. They had had many great adventures together and the girls' endless joy did much to ease the pain of his parents' deaths. He was always a welcome addition in their homes, but his visits became less frequent as he grew older and the orphanage and school demanded more of his time. Still, the three conspired and joked and fought with each other. They would never allow him to wallow in his studies too long, and he would be there to protect them.

And then Minako's family had moved and Usagi began to have intense pains in her chest after her first period. The scraggly scar upon her chest flared to life at random. She went to many specialists, but they all said she would grow out of it and that they could find no malice behind the aches. Yet, he quickly discovered the cause when he began to hear that tinkling melody attempting to light up his empty soul. At first it had sounded so foreign that he attributed it to a restaurant or the boutique Usagi insisted on dragging him to (and always managed to spray him with one of the more potent perfumes). It was when he found a pet store playing the sweet melody between the snakes that winked and spiders that waved at him, he began to reevaluate his assumptions. As he seriously listened to the tune, he felt himself fading away. He almost succumbed that first time, save for Usagi's sudden collapse due to the pain in her chest. When he touched her and the music and that burning sensation became greater in intensity he knew. The kinzuishou, wrapped around Usagi's sullied soul, was calling out to him.

For three years he had successfully dodged any great interaction with Usagi while still protecting her. He had watched her bloom into a beautiful teenager, clumsy but more human than ever. Mamoru could see the woman Serenity had longed to be. Usagi had found that freedom and preserving her innocence only spurred his resolve to save her.

When the senshi began to awaken, he knew Serenity might be quick to follow. Then the generals came as well. He knew they posed the greatest threat to Usagi and could very easily cause her awakening. Mamoru had fought to keep the princess sealed, to keep Endymion sealed, in order to save the young girl who would carry the world upon her shoulders once more. And now that Serenity had awakened, he was heartbroken that she did not know him.

But it was better that she did not know him. He had not told Jupiter the second reason why he could not allow Serenity to awaken. While the princess would destroy Usagi's freedom, she would also destroy her soul. Only he and Venus knew that the princess took her own life. He didn't want to think what Usagi would do when she found out. Of course, with her awakening, she most likely already knew. In that sense, associating with her couldn't hurt her. Yet, there was the one remaining question no one could answer:

_Why_ had Serenity killed herself?

And in the darkness of his mind, the only answer he found was him. He had died and then she had taken her life. If he had stayed alive, he could have saved her. He could have convinced her to rebuild and reign as the new Queen. He could have been her hope. But he died, as the senshi died, trying to save her from the evil of the Dark Kingdom. None of them had ever thought to save Serenity from herself.

Hence, he had decided three years ago, when he had sensed the first movements of the Dark Kingdom, to cut off all ties with Usagi. He had ignored her, been rude to her, and given her every reason to hate him. That way, if he died in the upcoming war, she would not grieve for him. She would not have a reason to take her life because of him.

But it was so hard to justify protecting her without being near her.

He lay awake at night fighting with himself, trying to stay away from his best friend. The stronger part of him had kept him away for weeks, but the weaker side was slowly gaining ground. That side didn't see the reason to fight against the kinzuishou. It was tired of defying fate and its own power. In the darkest hour, all he wanted was to be with Usagi, to be able to love her and cherish her as any normal person could. It always asked him the one question he could not answer: _How could loving someone be so wrong?_

And so here he was, flying over the rooftops of Tokyo, landing just far enough from the house so as not to be overtaken by that seductive tune, but close enough to watch her move about her room in those adorable blue pajamas and rabbit slippers. Mamoru's eyes twinkled as they took in the pink walls and moon comforter. He could see the corner of a vanity cluttered in perfumes and powders. It didn't feel as though they should belong to her. He could still remember eating cotton candy and playing in the swings, or going to the carnival and holding her tiny hand as they went down the rollercoaster. His ears would be ringing for a week with her screaming, but nothing could take that smile from his face.

He had missed three years of her life. This sudden epiphany was accompanied by a moment of fright. He wondered how easily Usagi might have forgotten him in that time span. Never mind that he had been trying to make her forget him. Unfortunately, his view didn't extend to the dresser, which amid a kitty alarm clock and stereo system held the last picture of them in the park. Copies also sat upon his nightstand and Minako's vanity. Two bubbling eleven year old blondes and a smiling fourteen year old boy were held together for eternity in that photograph. _Could Usa have forgotten him in these last few years as he pined for her?_

That was how Venus found him. His aura was open and glowing with sadness and confusion. The scared teen within showed through his normally stoic, adult demeanor. The tension instantly fell away as she slowly relaxed. Her skin prickled with the sudden chill of the night against her bare limbs. Quietly she sat down next to the man whose attention was fixed solely on Usagi in the room below.

"I never would have tagged you as a peeping tom, Mamoru-chan," she quipped lightly. She had to hold back a laugh as the man jumped, nearly falling off the roof. He had always been the most fun to tease.

"Mina-chan," he sighed before turning his eyes back to Usagi. The long tendrils of hair fell against her back as she pulled apart her tightly wound buns. "You always were the prankster."

"And you were always the gloomy one," she retorted. She didn't realize he could see the sadness hidden behind her eyes, but she could read his uneasiness without seeing his aura. It had been a long time since they had talked to one another, and now their lives were complicated.

"You never returned my mail," she said softly. "You did at first and then you just stopped. I kept asking Usa what was going on with you. She always said you were busy with school."

"It was too hard," he admitted. "Every time I would write to you, I would always see you looking over us, right after Serenity…" he couldn't finish his sentence, those terrible memories engulfing him. "I knew eventually you, like Usa, would be called to fight as well."

"When did you remember?" She couldn't place any time where he had really changed. Even now, three years since she had last seen him, he was the same Mamoru from her childhood. This was the same person who had chided she and Usagi about making mud pies and helped them catch butterflies. The senshi's memories had changed them, yet Mamoru was as he always had been.

"The accident."

She stared in disbelief. "When you were six?"

Mamoru nodded, unable to repress the memory of his awakening. His parent's blue coupe had hydroplaned over a cliff late at night. The metal crinkled with each tumble down and the screams echoed until thick branches impaled the vehicle. He could still picture the two limp, bloodied bodies before him, staring in horror as a tree limb suddenly ripped through the broken windshield and headed straight for his chest. He realized in that moment that the world had sentenced them to die, lost and forgotten on a hillside. His innocence had been shattered that night.

A shift occurred, a stirring of something long forgotten. Something latent in him refused to die. He could not give in to the hopelessness and cruelty of fate. In a moment of selfish need, he grappled for _it_, reached for the squirming, resolute thread of vivacity within him. He grabbed for life. A life of loneliness was better than none at all, and even as a child Mamoru knew he had to survive. Someone in this world needed him.

He pulled upon that _something_ with all of his strength. The tree limb was barely a half-meter from his stomach when a great golden light surrounded him. Memories wrapped in golden ribbon and filled with joy, love, and immeasurable shame assaulted him. He remembered a gentle green planet, flowing with power and promises to her beloved children. He felt the soft caresses of his mother and the callous palms of his father. The world was young then. It was a time before the Dark Kingdom nurtured the hate inside his people, turning them against their friends. It was before the fall, before his parents' deaths, and his kingdom's destruction.

He was assaulted by the memories of a past one thousand years in age. A past with a silver-haired princess he had given his life to save. Who had taken hers so quickly his blood was still fresh enough to warm her chest as his sword passed through it. This sword, a manifestation of the kinzuishou, was an extension of himself and as such he felt the metal penetrating her ribcage as though he were the one driving her to her death. He could _feel_ her blood as it pulsed against the sword, streaming from the hilt to the ground as her life flowed around him.

He felt her organs, warm and wet, as they stopped functioning. Even the slow beating of her heart was not lost to him, as close to death as he was himself. And before he could usher his last breath from his bloodless lips, he felt her die upon his golden sword. A sudden cold washed over his soul as the golden light of the sword dulled, tarnished by Serenity's lifeblood, before disappearing completely. Blood curdled in his throat and he welcomed the drowning sensation. Tears drifted down his face mourning her death from his hand.

At the age of six, Mamoru remembered the woman who could not have waited until his breath stopped and his eyes were unseeing to die when he had given everything to save her. He had saved her life for her to live it. The destruction, the suicide, and the sin that defiled her soul were due to a sinister woman who wanted him and everything of interest to him, especially Serenity. Without knowing him, the Moon Kingdom would have been prepared and would not have fallen. The world would have been saved, the Earth rebuilt. As it was, only complete defeat existed. Only ruins were left of the Moon and Golden Kingdoms. Everything was over, and it was all his fault. The guilt he felt with this knowledge was overwhelming. It was hard to say if in his last breath Endymion drowned in the blood and bile churning in his throat or in the immense shame of his indiscretions.

As gentle arms pulled him from the wreckage, Mamoru fell unconscious, haunted by the failure of his previous life. As his body lay dying, the cold creeping in, his blood slowed to a crawl and as the connection with his planet fell dormant, the older Endymion realized his greatest mistake. The error that led to Serenity's innocent soul being trapped in the sin of its last action was that she had known him. Her association with him had killed her. He could not allow her to die a second time due to his foolishness.

-------

Venus couldn't hide the pity she felt for this man. His constant depression now made complete sense. Having had the memories of her past life at the age of six would have greatly hindered her happiness as well. She shuddered, remembering as she stumbled toward the bleeding body of Endymion, barely alive, as Serenity fell upon him after sending his golden sword through her heart.

She could still remember the blinding flash of golden light as the kinzuishou disappeared into Serenity's breast. "You are bound to Serenity because she unknowingly fused your soul with hers." He nodded. _He had been forced to follow his soul into this time when it was reborn inside of Usa._ "So how can you still use your powers?"

"The kinzuishou works as the ginzuishou does. When an heir is conceived, a shard breaks from the crystal, like a seed. In this way, I could access a few of my powers before my mother was killed and the kinzuishou was completed inside of me. Even without the full crystal, a small shard of that power exists. My true soul, however, is with Usa. When Serenity used the kinzuishou, it became a part of her. Only she can separate it from her own soul, the ginzuishou."

"But to do so, she will remember you." She was starting to put the pieces together. She now understood why Usagi's memories were so indistinct and why he fought so hard against his own soul. "Do you think you are the only reason she had to kill herself?" disgust laced her voice. _Was he so selfish?_

He answered her with silence.

"Usa wouldn't kill herself for you," Minako pushed. She had to make him see his lunacy. Staying away from their best friend only made things worse, not better.

"Serenity is capable of anything," he whispered. Mamoru could not erase the feeling of her small body impaled by his sword as black ribbons collected at her feet.

"You should believe in Usa, Mamoru-chan."

"Endymion believed in Serenity's will to live," he retorted gruffly. He shook his head, vowing, "I will not let the same thing happen to Usa."

"But you love her," she said sadly. As children, Mamoru had always favored Usagi. It was something Minako hadn't paid much attention to until she was old enough to understand love and relationships. Even if he suppressed it, in his own clumsy way, Mamoru loved her. She watched his aura flash as he repressed his own sadness. Her hand pressed into his shoulder, offering her support. "You can't deny yourself, Mamoru."

"If I give in, she will be in more danger than if I stay away from her."

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing her body into his back. "Aren't you tired of hurting, Mamoru-chan? When are you allowed to be happy?"

"As long as Usa lives, it is enough," he pressed a hand to embrace the arms at his neck. "I have lost everything; you two are the only reason I have left to fight. I will protect you both."

"If that were true then you would not be watching her from the roof of her neighbor's house. Even if it isn't the best idea, even if it destroys you both in the end, isn't it important that you tell her how you feel?" her voice was no longer soft, but demanding.

Silence was her only answer. It was not his fault that he followed their princess into this millennium when Queen Serenity bade them to transcend time. Serenity had sealed their souls within her body, forcing Endymion to follow the princess' path now and forever. Mamoru, however, freely loved Usagi without the influence of the princess or Endymion. If anything, he was fighting against Endymion to love her. He had become a slave of his past life, only to turn against himself in the end. Venus frowned. No wonder he stayed far away from Usa, and yet looked so utterly devastated when she did not recognize him that night weeks ago. Endymion was telling him to stay away to save her, and Mamoru wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms. _But could avoiding Usa-chan really change anything? _

"She will not die," she vowed, granting her his attention. "The senshi will not allow it to happen again. And neither will you." She moved around him to stare straight into his eyes. Certainly his cause was just, but she couldn't let her two best friends suffer. Especially when they didn't know how this battle would end. _I have to save him from himself._

"Staying away from her isn't going to make her hate you. Neither is taunting her every chance you get. Why can't you just accept that a battle awaits us all—even Usagi. Win or lose we're all going to be there. You will fight alongside her and one of you may die. That's the chance we're taking."

"She has no reason to be there," he hissed. His resolution was slowly taking over again, that mask falling back over his face, as he shut himself away from the world.

Minako ignored his anger. She was trying to get him to see beyond the tragedy of the past. She stood her ground against him. "Usa-chan must fight. It is her destiny as well as yours."

"Is Usa as cruel as we are? Can she kill mercilessly, without thought, without guilt, even in defense?" He shook his head violently. Desperation caused his voice to crack. "Why must she bloody her hands as well? It is the only innocence she has left."

Venus followed his gaze to Usagi's bedroom. She had left the room, probably to brush her teeth before going to bed. Minako bit back a sigh. In this lifetime, the two had found each other yet were forced apart once again. _Was this their destiny? How could one right the wrongs of the past if it continued to be repeated?_


	15. Mamoru and Usagi

Wow. Was this a busy week and weekend. On the plus side I was really impressed with the photographer I saw today. I want to look at others, but these two (a husband and wife team) have really caught me. :P Bah, planning for weddings isn't easy. But I doubt y'all are here to read me rant :P That's what my LJ is for :D

So, here's the new juicy chapter. There's a small continuation of Minako and Mamoru's conversation. A bit of an encore if you will :) But, more importantly, as the title implies, Mamoru and Usagi FINALLY interact. :3 Aren't you glad you waiting this long?

I will admit that I have a fondness for this chapter. Granted, I have a fondness for almost every chapter for different reasons. This one because Mamoru is being his loveable-hateable self. And because Usagi finally gets a bit of the spotlight. She needed to be doing something aside from flitting around lunch tables. :) But I'll let you all be the judges :D

Enjoy and review!

- Lillie Bell  
(next update: 14 Oct. 2007)

* * *

_Absolution:  
Mamoru and Usagi_

Usagi flipped the switch in the bathroom and walked down the hall. Her mouth tingled with freshness and she contently crawled into bed. The cool pillow and gentle breeze coming through her window felt heavenly and she fell asleep quickly. Luna padded in through the cracked door and nestled herself against Usagi's bent legs. The girl sighed as she fell into oblivion.

Unfortunately, oblivion gave way to dreams. And Usagi's dreams were always of Serenity's disjointed memories of the Silver Millennium. Though she believed she had all her past memories, during her slumber she reenacted scenes where a second party was missing. Sometimes she would remember interacting with her mother, the kindly Queen Serenity, or the other senshi as they went about their business in the palace. More often than not, she was plagued by the feeling of going to meet someone. As Serenity, she would wander for hours it seemed, but there would be no one. She did not know who Serenity had been going to meet or why or how, only that it nearly devastated her when she could not find the person of her desires.

Dancers swayed in front of her vision as another ball proceeded as the last had and the one before that. Serenity sat rigid in her small throne, her mother within arms length sitting at her right. The proud queen wore a sparkling white dress tied with a purple sash representing her rank. The burning crescent upon her forehead did more to betray her role as royalty than the simple cloth ever could. Serenity herself held the same brand, not as bright due to her not having received the full powers of the Moon as yet, but still shining through the brightest lights that graced her pale face. Her hands swept the length of her creamy white dress, her crystal blue eyes looking over her subjects and guests but not truly seeing anyone there.

Usagi stared into the crowd through the eyes of Serenity. Like all her dreams, she reenacted the princess' life. She knew most of Serenity's thoughts and fears, but did not guide her actions. Sometimes she felt she was trapped inside Serenity's body and wished nothing but to escape the woman's terrible depression. Sometimes it was like a veil had come down and Usagi could not fully see what Serenity was thinking. Mostly, she just road on the wave of memory knowing there was no way of changing past happenings.

A flash from the corner of her eye turned her attention toward the open balcony and the gardens beyond. Her heart jumped though she knew not why. Usagi gulped down her excitement, fighting to keep her face stoic lest her mother take notice of her demeanor. Of anyone, her mother could not know her secret. Her eyebrows knit together. _What was her secret? Why could her mother not know? Was Serenity compromising her people?_

After another suitor had introduced himself and talked amiably with them, Usagi carefully cleared her throat. Her mother's gentle lavender eyes met hers. "May I be excused? I would like some fresh air." A simple nod was all she needed before she was standing and moving down the white marble dais. The small steps were painful, but she could not appear too eager to escape and rouse suspicion.

Usagi followed the wall, staying out of the way and sneaking through the crowd, as she neared the balcony. The heat fell away from her limbs as the cool night air caressed her. She took a large breath, hunching her shoulders before letting them fall, as she attempted to relax. She didn't have much success, but the smallest reprieve was a blessing.

Usagi peered into the beautiful gardens below her. Soft scents flowed up from the many petals, her nostrils flaring with their pleasant odor. She snuck a peek over her shoulder at her mother. The queen was entertaining a diplomat they were working with tirelessly. An impish glee filled her with energy and Usagi took off down the stairs and into the gardens. Her ballroom shoes did little to pad the rough feel of the pebbles beneath her feet. She quickly slowed her steps as her feet continued to slip and twist with the small rocks. But even the small discomfort could not dim her enthusiasm.

The twenty year old looked behind her once again, fearful that someone had noticed her absence. No guards were racing after her just yet. She was free for a moment longer. As she veered from the path and rock gave way to gentle ground and soil, she began to run. Expertly she dodged the tall, twisting trees around her, loving the feel of the wind whipping her white hair around her. Usagi ran through the gardens, her genteel mouth open, as she simply let out a siren's laugh. It was a long, delicate thing, foreign to the ears of those who laughed often. But for the Moon princess, it was the closest to happiness she could come.

Finally, when her feet pleaded for mercy and her lungs burned with life, she stopped near her destination. A small smile tweaked at the corners of her lips as she stumbled to her sanctuary within the vast gardens. She entered the alcove of white lilies and collapsed upon the wooden bench there.

In her youth when her days were not filled with responsibilities and learning, she had planted the lilies within the last standing walls of the original garden. For reasons she did not know, the original structure had fallen in on itself, leaving only the framing walls. She had stumbled upon it and decided to use it as her own private place. It had taken her nearly three months to clear out and dispose of the debris, working during the night and into the morning hours once the maids had thought she was asleep. Every bit of the shelter was from her own hard work and she could not have been more proud of the finished product. She could remember specifically when she had planted each bed of lilies, how she had repaired the small fountain, and even how the very bench she was sitting on was made.

Her pale hand ran across the wooden bench beneath her. Her white eyebrows knit together. The metal that created the arms on its ends was foreign to her. It was cold to touch, but gave an elegant curve to an otherwise common piece of décor. It bothered her immensely. Usagi knew this bench. She could remember picking out the lumber from what she could salvage of the old structure. She even recalled having to hide the small calluses upon her hands a few days after it was fashioned. But there was no memory of actually making the bench. There was only the sense of completion and a growing feeling of joy.

Usagi's eyes darted around the small enclave, searching for something or someone. She stood from the bench, leaving its mystery behind to chase the fleeting feeling of wrongdoing constricting her chest cavity. Someone was supposed to be here, but she didn't know who or why.

Certainly not one of the senshi, she reasoned. The soldiers were nice and cordial, but more interested in the palace's defenses than her friendship. If she had told them they would have either sent a guard to keep watch or destroyed her garden. They were not malicious women, but only had their duties and her safety in mind. Usually she appreciated their concern. Sometimes, however, she needed some breathing room.

In a frenzy, the woman bounced to all the walls, looking out of the one forged window into the night. No one was there. The pain of rejection filled Usagi's chest. She choked on it, falling down onto that same wooden bench. The cold metal bit into her arm as her head fell into her hands. _Something is missing._ She didn't know what, but there was no doubt in her mind that something was terribly wrong with this scene. She knew someone was supposed to be here with her. Just as she knew how the bench and its beautiful masonry had come to be.

_Where were her memories? Who had she forgotten?_

-------

The prickle of tears and the quickness of her breath woke Usagi from her distressed sleep. Even awake she still felt the utter sense of wrongdoing. Involuntarily her eyes went to the photo upon her desk. Suddenly she understood Serenity's heartbreak. Those blue orbs widened in realization.

_Serenity had loved someone, but he had not come for her._

The blonde's heart broke as she saw the parallel of her past and present life. Helplessness boiled inside of her and she rolled to fling herself into her pillows.

_Were she and Serenity both destined to have an unrequited love? Was destiny so cruel to give them the power of the world yet deny them true happiness?_

And her heart broke once more as she realized that she was doomed. Mamoru would never love her, he had made that quite clear. Though she had vowed to end the past's transgressions, she could not even correct this one wrong against her past life. Her sobs rang through the night, the bleeding of her heart escaping her mouth in mournful cries. Mamoru, sitting on the neighbor's rooftop, felt every one of her whimpers echo through his core.

-------

In the dead of night, Usagi made her way through the streets of the Juuban district of Tokyo. She knew being out late jeopardized her safety but after having tossed and turned for hours, she needed to walk off her frustrations. After her cry and an hour or two of restlessness, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing—something that her senshi were keeping secret. She knew something important was absent from her memories of the Moon Kingdom. _Mainly him, whomever Serenity had loved._

Usagi could remember Serenity's antics as a young child, then how quickly she had to change into her part of princess. At eight, she had to stand at her mother's hand as a future anchor of her people. Gone were the days of joyously running through the gardens and swimming in the springs. Responsibility forced the last years of childhood from her. These were the memories she had.

Usagi could remember the senshi at the age of ten, when they were first brought to the palace. Though their true mission was to protect the princess, they spent more time ensuring the safety of the kingdom instead of standing at her side. On those lonely nights when she wanted nothing more than a friend to confess her greatest doubts and fears too, she had never once considered to run to her senshi. She had grown up utterly alone.

A woman pressed with the responsibility to love her people and keep their welfare in mind had put her own second. In this way, Serenity never quite understood what to do about her loneliness. Her problems were not the problems of her world and therefore were not important. As such, she had neglected her people the most. She couldn't understand how, but she felt she had failed them in her own selfishness. Her death was the primary mark of that. _It was her fault her kingdom no longer existed._

Usagi watched her breath pooling out in icy puffs in the air. She had a thick coat on, but her pajama pants still clung to her legs, offering little insulation. The young girl didn't notice much of the cold. Her thoughts turned inward as she meandered her way through the night.

The princess had ignored her responsibilities and thus had caused the downfall of the Silver Millennium. Her death had destroyed everything. The only problem was that Usagi could not remember why she had previously died. The dreams from weeks ago reminded her of the deaths of her senshi. Though they had not been friends, they still had a strong bond. That they would give their lives for someone they barely knew broke her heart. The senshi knew their duty and embraced it with their whole lives, but Serenity could not. She felt she had betrayed them by taking her own life. But it was always at this moment in her wallowing, that Usagi felt she had also been betrayed. Her whole life had been a betrayal of what she should have been. _Did Serenity take her life out of despair for her destiny? Simply because she hated who she was?_

Usagi shook her head, trying to stay away from what had convinced Serenity commit such a sin. Instead, she focused on her memories and the holes in them. At the senshi's deaths her memories began to deteriorate. There were the generals all clustered around them and then she was no longer with them, but limping along the surface of the crusting Moon. Just as purple-black tendrils of satin fabric made its way into her vision, wrapping around her and polluting her soul, her memory abruptly ended. There were clues, but no solid truth. Something important happened—she died for a reason after all—but the one memory that she should not be able to shake from her mind was the one memory she did not have.

There were other things, too. She could not remember the location of the ginzuishou, a fact that devastatingly shook her confidence. Usagi had taken on Serenity's duties without question, a true need to save her world throbbing within her core. However, the most awesome power in the universe was missing. The only one with that memory would have to be Serenity, and it was completely forgotten. _Could they defeat Metallia without the ginzuishou? _She didn't want to think of the consequences if the answer was no.

_Focus_, she chided, thinking about the past and not the dire situation of the present. A whole section of her previous life was hidden behind a veil. Usagi tried to remember what the princess did for fun. She could find a small slice of joy but nothing associated with it. It was like a part of her was trapped inside of a box and the key in someone else's hands. The blonde touched the softly humming scar in her chest. Her cold fingers pressed into her warm skin. She felt the beating of her heart and the gentle murmuring of the power beneath her fingertips.

She didn't even realize she synchronized with that gentle sound until, in a moment of higher awareness, she felt it jump. Her feet stopped and she dove deeper into the mystery that was her scar. It was a birthmark that she had never thought twice about until her first period. After that point, the perfectly shaped, upright ellipse had begun to burn at odd times. She became accustomed to the sudden pains over time, able to control the burning so that those around her were not worried by it. Over the years, she came to believe that it was not a simple birthmark. She knew that the ache was caused somehow. Now with the memories of the princess, she could only fuel her beliefs.

Her own heart skipped a beat as the murmur began to sing softly, coaxingly. She listened, and could feel the direction the melody was pointing. She began following that charming tune, coming finally to the lake in the park and nearly running straight into the back of her childhood friend.

-------

Pebbles went tumbling across the gravel, raking against the others in their path. Mamoru kicked up more as he shuffled his feet. He was turning in circles, mentally and physically. His shoulders slumped as he dug his hand deeper into his leather jacket. The wind sailed past him, causing a chill to run down his spine. He pulled his jacket closer, but nothing could keep out the cold inside of him.

Minako's words and Usagi's cries echoed in his mind. For the first time, he could see how their separation had affected Usagi. All this time, he had thought he was the only one hurting. She had stayed so cheery. From the glimpses he snuck of her, she hadn't changed. That had made it so easy to hurt her. If the teasing, the name-calling, and the sudden distaste he pretended to have for her didn't hurt her, then he felt less guilty about doing it. Knowing now that she had simply been holding all the pain inside made him hate himself. _What good was protecting Usa if she was hurt in the end?_

Mamoru shook his head violently. _No, no, no._ He had resigned himself to this separation. He had believed keeping away from her would be the best for them. Nothing could harm her if he wasn't around. In an instant, Minako's soft words reminded him he was terribly wrong.

---

Venus sighed. "She misses you, you know," she whispered. _How could this be destiny if so many people were hurting?_

"She's going to be okay," she continued lamely. Venus' support could only help him so much. Only Usagi could make him the way he should have been, without the memories of the Earth prince lording over his present life. _Did he do anything for himself? Was it all for the past and the planet?_

"What about your memories of Venus? Shouldn't you be convincing me to stay away from Usa?" he parried, trying desperately to ignore her words. He was protecting and hurting Usagi at the same time. _But what else can I do?_

"It doesn't matter what Venus thinks or says. You are my friend, Mamoru, and I can't stand watching you and Usa torturing yourselves like this. It's not right. It's not fair."

"Life isn't fair."

"Well, you're certainly not doing anything to make it better!" she exploded. Minako was tired of him and his pity party. "Stop thinking like Endymion and start thinking for yourself. If you love Usa, then get down there and love her. Otherwise just turn your back on all of this. It's better that you're out of her life completely than in it halfway."

Minako took a deep breath, chilling her ire before she said something she'd regret. "I cannot allow the past to repeat itself. But neither can I ignore my present life." He watched her blue eyes sparkle with conviction as she turned to him. "Do you hear me Mamoru? This isn't a choice between the past and the present. This is a choice between happiness and sadness.

"My choice is to fight to keep my future in hopes that it will bring me happiness. What choices have you made for this life?"

"We cannot ignore our duty," he retaliated.

"But we cannot live for it either."

Minako looked away across the skyline of Tokyo. The lights of the city calmed her. He was being unreasonable and stubborn, but that was the Mamoru she knew. He had never changed from the scared little boy they had visited in the hospital. At that time, he couldn't remember their names, but now he had deliberately forgotten their friendship. Mamoru was fueled by Endymion's regret. He was nothing but a puppet now. Even so, she was trying her hardest to convince him of his stupidity.

"If we are truly doomed," she stately quietly, no longer interested in his pathetic excuses, "then nothing you do now will change anything."

Minako glanced down into the window, watching the writhing body of her sleeping friend. Murmurs floated up on the wind and tears pricked her eyes as she faced him once again. "Don't you see?" she whispered, her voice cracking with her own tears. _When had the three of them turned into this? They were supposed to be friends forever._ "She calls out for you in her sleep—not Endymion. It is you she needs, now more than ever."

Those pitiful cries were too much for her to stand there and listen to. In a quick motion, Venus stood and disappeared into the night. Mamoru closed his eyes, attempting to drown out those pathetic whimpers. _This was all his fault._

---

The teen's hand clenched, crunching the cloth liner of his pockets. His hand came out and furiously rubbed at the wetness gathering in his eyes. He had thought he was saving her, protecting her—in his own way, loving her. But now he didn't know. He didn't know if he was doing the right or wrong thing. Endymion was telling him to stay away from her, that Serenity's safety came before her happiness. But everything he had done with his life had been to guarantee Usagi's happiness.

"Should I leave?" he whispered into the night. His blue eyes looked to the Moon for guidance. Leaving would make it easier to forget the pain. And he wouldn't have to go far, maybe to the coast. That way he would never have the chance to see Usagi, but would know when she was in trouble. His heart lurched at the idea. _Be without Usa? Impossible._

"I can't do this," he said softly. He looked out at the park. He remembered the swing set where they would come on Saturdays. To the left of it, though he couldn't make it out in the dark, was the sandbox. He remembered the time it had rained and Usagi was scolded for ruining her jumper. When they were older they would have picnics by the lake. He could still see their faces as they ate his food. It wasn't as good as what their mothers prepared, but Usagi and Minako had always made it out like the best cuisine in the world. Even at that age, they could sense his insecurities. In their own way, they protected him as he learned to cope with his parents' deaths.

_Is this how I repay their friendship?_ His face contorted in disgust. Mamoru had never hated himself as he did now. He didn't realize as he grew more and more irate the melody of the kinzuishou sang louder, leading Usagi straight to him.

-------

Usagi's blue eyes stared wide at the strong form of Mamoru. _This is who you are singing to?_ But the song had reached even louder levels and, for the first time in a long while, Usagi felt a burning sensation sprout beneath her fingertips. Her scar was singing so strongly it seared her skin. And suddenly things began to fit together. The onset of the burning sensation and Mamoru's subsequent departure from her life, how the pain had been minimal over the years, except when she saw him—she suddenly knew. He was the cause of the song. Something inside of her was always reaching out for him. Reaching so hard that it strained her own body to do so.

_How cruel was it that the one man who held her heart also pained it?_

"Mamoru," Usagi choked out over the siren song. His body went rigid, wanting to hold her but not being able to without submitting to the lovely melody of the kinzuishou. He turned, trying his best to ignore the call of his soul, but when he looked into Usagi's eyes he knew. _She could hear it, too. She could hear it, and it led her straight to him._

"Tell me why, Mamo-chan," she pleaded softly, calling him the name from when they were kids. "Why does it hurt every time you're near me?" His hand stretched out for a moment, overwhelmed by the guilt of causing her pain. But then his arm fell back to his side, disappearing in the night. She let out a frustrated cry, tears coming to her eyes. Determination flamed within her; for once she was going to get answers to the questions in her life. "What do you know, Mamo-chan?!" she nearly screamed.

"Usa," he said softly, not knowing what to tell her. _Your chest burns because I don't have the courage to release my soul and return all of your memories._ He took in her accusing, tear-filled gaze. His heart broke in that moment and he knew he could not hold the truth from her. She could break him down with just a look and make him tell secrets he would never have told a soul.

He reached for her hand, touching the soft, cold skin. In an effort to warm it, he placed both hands around her fingers. He swallowed hard, preparing to expose himself as the coward he was. "Usa," he gently spoke, his voice lilting a bit under the weight of his confession. One hand moved up to her cheek, caressing away the tears dripping down her cheeks. As his mouth opened once more, a sudden chill ran up his spine. The gentle caress at her cheek quickly became an embrace around her shoulders as he pulled her up against his body protectively.

That's when he sensed the danger they were in. At the edge of his subconscious he felt the four auras of his previous lords. His jaw clenched as he took off in a crazed run just as the patch of land behind them erupted in an explosion. He felt Usagi grasped at his throat, her arms wrapping tightly around his shoulders. She cried out as he crushed her against him.

Usagi screamed as a bolt of black energy whipped against Mamoru's back, sending them both flying through the air. He flipped, landing on his feet and sliding across the ground, as fire erupted just behind them. Usagi quickly shook out her pigtails, their ends singed by the blast. Before she knew it, they were bombarded with energy on both sides and torn apart.

Usagi bit straight through her lip when she landed a few meters away. Her palms and legs were cut up from trying to stop the fall, but her immediate attention was on her companion, still in his original position.

Mamoru panted slightly, eyes darting through the darkness trying to see or sense the four generals heralding their attacks. The four of them landed, circling the couple. His eyes roved the faces of his old friends. Kunzite's black eyes burned into him without fury or fright. _A_ _true puppet. _The other's eyes were clear and filled with duty. In that moment he realized their hesitation was gone. They were here to kill Usagi knowing he would stop them. They were here to kill them both. Even Endymion could not escape their dutiful assassination now.

* * *

Note: After next week there will be a long break between my postings. I'm going to be gone the weekend of the 20th for a car show, and then the weekend of the 27th for a chemistry regional meeting. Trust me, I'd rather be home playing WoW... well, at least for the regional meeting. The car show I wouldn't miss for the world :D So, here's your heads up! 


	16. Forgotten Memories

Hmm... things are getting serious now! Usagi and Mamoru are in trouble, but what are the other senshi doing:) The generals have come out to play and put some business to rest. Like someone said: "it's time for a fight!" Pool that in with an appearance of the real bad guy and some memory relapses and you've got this chapter :D We're winding down to the last chapter and things are starting to (hopefully) come together!

So, I've been challenged to a climactic ending by a reviewer ;P Psshh! You think I'd take 16 chapters and NOT give you a terribly exhausting, emotional, dramatic, action-packed, "squee-filled" ending? For shame! ;P No, wait, I think the "squee-filled" was for the epilogue... maybe both :P

And to all those who have gotten angry at Mamoru for being so stubborn and angsty and so incredibly, stupidly human... I hear ya:P Your responses made me giggle and I'm looking forward to what everyone thinks of this chapter :) :) And the next chapter, as well, because even more stuff hits the fan, if you know what I mean ;)

Also, this chapter has a disclaimer for Eli-ko: I'm still telling you not to read this one :) But you'll love me anyway, right::bats eyelashes::

Enjoy and review!

- Lillie Bell  
(next update: Nov! I'm going to be gone the next 2 weeks :X Don't hate me for the cliffhanger!)

* * *

_Absolution:  
Forgotten Memories_

Ami's fingers rapped across the keyboard, barely visible with their speed. Her eyes scanned page after page of inquiries, the books next to her mouse forgotten. She was behind in Calculus and Physics, barely keeping up with History and English, yet she searched intently for some evidence of the Dark Kingdom.

She didn't even notice the dust on her math book at the top of the stack. It had been two weeks since she'd even thought to do the exercises in her notebook from cram school. Every time she so much as looked at the materials she itched to be searching. There was no satisfaction in learning any more, only the anxiety of guessing their enemy's next move. The mathematical equations were boring and repetitive. They had no depth to them. English was too slow and the curving letters looked silly to her. The history in her textbooks was not the history she knew. Her studies did not bring her closer to understanding the Dark Kingdom or how to destroy them. They were no longer important.

Her fingers continued their dance across her keyboard. Tonight she could feel it. Something was going to happen. Like that time months ago when she first started at Juuban and had met Usagi, Ami felt the tingle of fate in the air. Their destiny was being written tonight and she was searching valiantly for its trail. Her studies would wait until the world had been saved.

-------

Makoto pulled the tape from her hands and examined her knuckles. The skin was broken, but the blood had dried. As the stew boiled she washed and tended to her hands. She was restless tonight. She had spent hours underneath the arcade beating into a stuffed bag. Her muscles strained from being overworked, but still she was anxious.

She tasted the stew and frowned. Nothing she cooked had flavor any more. It was all bland. She added spices, but nothing came with that magical feeling any more. Even cooking itself seemed more of a chore than a hobby. She stirred the pot, watching potatoes and celery bob to the surface without interest.

_Why do I even try?_ She thought sullenly as she turned off the burner and filled a bowl. Cooking used to be her greatest pleasure and now it was just a task. Like brushing her teeth or doing her laundry, she cooked simply for the need to eat. No longer was it creation or art, just simply another thing to distract her from her duty.

Makoto sighed, remembering when she would sit in the kitchen for hours conjuring up a new dish. Where had all of her passion gone?

-------

A sense of danger awoke Rei from her slumber. Her sixth sense fluttered in anticipation and she saw Usagi's smiling face in front of her open eyes. She pulled her hair from her face before it was singed as she stood from the fire. How ironic that she had fallen asleep waiting for the fire to answer her and been awakened by its call. For weeks she had pried the flames for insight and only come up with their swaying laughter in response. It had been so easy to read them until now. She could not understand why they had betrayed her.

_Everyone has betrayed me,_ she thought solemnly, remembering a certain blond general from her past. She had placed everything on Jadeite—her hopes, her dreams, her love for her cousin and his security—and he had returned none of her affection. He had betrayed her heart and his own when he set against Endymion. Even now, the pain of his deception burned her core. And every time she sat at the fire trying to read into the Dark Kingdom's movements all she could think about was his silky blond hair and boyish features. The man-child who had defiled her and betrayed her was all she could think about. If it was not Jadeite then it was Endymion who filled her mind. Desperately she tried to turn back to Serenity, but she could only think of the men in her life.

Shaking her head clear, Rei fumbled for her phone in the dark. It didn't matter who she thought of before, Serenity was in danger _now_. Her fingers opened the cold cover and grazed along the button until she felt one with ears atop a circle. Adrenaline was pushing through her veins and her hands shook making it hard to find the button. Pressing it, she tried her best to calm her breathing and rapidly beating heart.

"Luna," she spoke into the phone when the disgruntled feline answered. "Where is Usagi-chan?"

There was a pause, a few inaudible growls from Luna who believed Usagi was still safely tucked into her bed, before a squeal of surprise issued from the young cat. "She's not here," Luna yelped. Getting control of herself not a moment later, she continued in a voice full of stoic command. "Read the fire, find her. I'll contact the others."

Neither of them could shake the ominous feeling running up their spines.

-------

Minako hugged her knees into her chest. The night air chilled her greatly, but she remained. Even Artemis could not convince her to come inside off the rooftop of her aunt's house and so had taken to curling up next her hip. Only that corner of her body held any warmth.

She had sat outside for more than an hour after speaking with Mamoru. While she had been trying her hardest to reach him with words, he had set wheels turning with his own. She closed her eyes and sighed.

_Don't you have Venus' memories? Isn't she telling you to keep me away from Usa?_

Minako frowned. Indeed she had Venus' memories, but there was little she could gather from them. All they held was a guilt so crippling she had ignored them all together. Now, Mamoru had forced her to remember her past. A shudder ran down her spine, from the cold or her own fear, she didn't know.

"Artemis," she said softly. His small ears pricked up and he turned to her. "Do you think Venus was a good protector?"

The cat nuzzled her softly, his wet nose and whiskers tickling her thigh. "None of you girls failed at your duty. I think fate had something else in store for us."

_And how do we know this time is different?_ She thought, but didn't speak her mind. There was no use taking away his hope. "Venus really wasn't around Serenity very much. All she was concerned about was finding the legendary sword."

Most of Minako's memories focused around Venus pouring over ancient tomes and scrolls looking for a way to summon a sword of infinite power. It was said to be crafted by the first Serenity who had brought about the Moon Kingdom. When she had died, her spirit had so wished to protect her land that the small shard of the ginzuishou inside of her grew into a sword. Venus had spent her lifetime trying to discover how to summon the sword, and in the end had attained nothing but a cruel death.

Artemis watched his charge closely. He knew what Minako would think of Venus' quest to find the blade. "Do you know why Venus spent so much time looking for it?" She barely cast him a glance, but her body tensed and he knew she was listening intently. "With that sword, all conflicts could be ended without Serenity being involved. She was thinking of when the princess would become queen. She was trying to save her the guilt of having to defend her kingdom by killing others. That is one thing you both have in common: your insane desire to protect Serenity from her destiny."

"But Mamoru—"

"Yes, you are different. But you are the same. He is trying to protect Serenity from the fate they share. You are trying to protect Usagi from the past, which is a part of her destiny.

"Do not think less of Venus because she wanted to find the sword. In any battle it would be a very useful weapon to have. Your powers can only go so far, making Serenity supreme with the ginzuishou. But having a sword of the same caliber puts you on nearly the same level as her. Don't you see? The Hope Sword allows you to better protect Serenity. Without knowing that your lives on the Moon were going to be short, it was a smart move on Venus' part to find it."

His voice turned grave. "Do you remember what Venus found?"

"That the sword can only be summoned by Serenity's guard. That was all there ever was to it." Minako frowned. "Why do ancient texts have to be so vague?"

Artemis smiled. At least she was starting to act more like herself. They sat together in companionable silence until Minako's phone began to ring. She slammed the face closed after a short greeting. As she stood her body lit up in a bright flash of yellow energy. Without an explanation, Sailor Venus took off over the rooftops with a white cat on her heels.

She made it to the park with amazing speed. A spark in the air led her to the lake and the scene that greeted her brought her to her knees. Tears sprung into her eyes as she watched her friend thrashing around, torn apart by the attack of the generals. Each unleashed their attacks without remorse. The figure twisted and turned as lightning shocked it, flame enveloped it, and ice shards impaled it. The black energy of a whip wrapped around the singed body, making the arms flail about as dark energy coursed through the burnt body. Venus stared, completely oblivious to the senshi landing behind her, as her friend died.

Just like in the past, she was too late.

-------

Usagi stood behind Mamoru, his right arm extended in front of her as a shield. In his left hand he brandished a short sword. This particular piece had come from a small hole cut into his pocket to allow the thin hilt to poke through. The sheath was strapped to his thigh. The blade glinted in the night, showing its ferocity, but it appeared no match for the four generals wielding their hellacious weaponry.

A whip of dark power sailed at them and Mamoru deflected it just as flames roared at them from his other side. His arms quickly enveloped Usagi and pulled them from the raging inferno. The edge of the flame caught his coat and the two quickly worked to snuff it out. He threw the coat to the ground, smothering the last of the flames as the smell of burnt leather permeated the air.

In the moonlight she caught a glimpse of his face. He was beginning to pale and sweat soaked the ends of his bangs and pooled at the top of his shirt. His right shoulder slumped from the first crack of that black whip. Usagi bit her lip. The generals wanted her and had attacked because she had been careless. Mamoru was simply defending her and now he was the one being harmed. Though she had vowed to protect herself, it seemed all she was capable of was cowering behind others. Tears sprang to her eyes when he took a defensive stance once again as Jadeite charged at them.

"Mamoru," she choked out, her throat filling with guilt for putting him in this situation. They would kill them both, she knew, but he would never leave her. She could give her life for him to be free, but somewhere inside she understood he would not allow her to turn herself over to these men. That he would give his life to save her told her of his love more than words ever could. His actions betrayed his previous acts of cruelty. She whimpered behind him as he struggled, loathing her inability to return his favor.

"Mamoru, eh?" Jadeite spat in the teen's face. "Is that your name now? How fitting." They pushed away from one another before tangling their swords once more. "Will you taint this one as well, Endymion?"

_Endymion…_ Usagi stared at his back, watching his shoulders and forearms straining beneath the fire of the blond man's blade. Her chest burned brightly at the name. Her hand flew to the scar that pained her. She fought to keep her eyes open, tears leaking down her cheeks as her breathing became shallow. Usagi hunched over, pulsing with a flaming ache that sprouted beyond her heart to the edges of her body. Everything hurt; her shoulders felt twisted in their sockets, her stomach knotted, and her fingers and toes curled into claws. She was far too distracted to see the whip, shards, and lightning headed toward her.

Zoicite and Nephrite had hung back most of the battle, happy to allow the battle crazed generals their shots at the reincarnated prince. Truth be told, just because they were resigned to their fate did not mean that they did not hesitate. Endymion would always be their prince and master. After a thousand years waiting for his rebirth even they could not deny the pain it caused them to kill their prince once again. But to end the cycle of destiny, they knew what they had to do. Neither would live through this deed; it had been agreed between the two of them. The time to live had come and gone for them. They were already a thousand years older than they should be. All they could hope for was fate's generosity with second chances. Maybe then they could prove their loyalty to the only man that meant more than life to them. They had sold their souls to save him and now they would destroy themselves by killing him again. This was the end. And when Endymion was preoccupied with Jadeite's taunting they lined up an attack on the crouched princess. Both prayed that one day they could all join together once more. One day life could begin anew and they could be at peace, no longer haunted by their past.

Usagi's eyes squeaked open as Mamoru turned and pushed her a few steps back. She saw Jadeite's eyes blacken as he ruthlessly cut down the length of the other man's spine with that infernal blade. He writhed as lightning slammed into him before the soft flesh was impaled by ice shards. That black whip wrapped around his torso, sending jolts of dark energy through his already tortured body. Steam rose from his shoulders as Mamoru slumped forward into Usagi's arms. Her nose was assaulted by the scent of scorched flesh. Her eyes burned with tears. Her ears latched onto the shallow breaths filling with the blood slowly overtaking his lungs. Her hands slipped on the blood pouring down his back.

His eyes were slits as he had no energy to close or open them. Usagi sunk to the ground under his weight and shock. He had let her down again, he realized. Once again he had died and left her behind in the world of the living. He could only hope that this time she was stronger than Serenity, even though he was nearly the same as Endymion. He pushed past the fluid in his throat, forcing his voice through the swollen chords. "I'm sorry," he wheezed, "I tried to be stronger." _I cannot save you from this pain._

Usagi stared as he fell limp in her arms. The breath at her shoulder turned from puffs of air to the slow trickle of liquid as blood pooled out from his wounds. Her coat was soaked with his red blood, turning cold in the night as it escaped his warm body. Her breath hitched as she tried to come to terms with what was happening. The ache in her chest, that screeching melody, persisted through it all. That tune had distracted her and made her susceptible to attack. The melody had created an opening for the generals and had caused him to protect her. _It_ had killed him. Her soul burned with the intensity of the song and her own remorse. She had lost her only love.

"Mamo-chan," she whimpered, holding his cold body against hers. Her ear pressed against his chest, hearing nothing but the wind rustling the limbs of the trees.

"Mamo-chan," she cried as the truth of his death slammed into her. Thousands of memories scrolled across her closed eyes. She remembered when they had first met as toddlers, how he used to blow on her cuts when she was in grade school, and when he had suddenly ended it all three years ago to save her from pain. Always that annoying melody and persistent burn pervaded her thoughts, laughing at him for all his futile efforts. He was gone, yet the pain continued. He had given up their future because he did not want to cause her pain; yet, even his death had not stopped that incessant ache. Her nerves were quickly unraveling and a sudden insanity overtook her. She just wanted it to stop.

"Mamo-chan!!" she screamed with all her might, her body trembling. Her throat burned and she nearly drowned in the tears falling down her face. In a moment of madness, she stopped fighting against that tune within her, that power he had wasted his life to end. The futility of their lives hit her and she grabbed at the golden cords gathering within her. She was tired of the pain, tired of the song, tired of living life without him. She ripped it, tearing the ribbons from her soul as the world exploded around her.

The generals shielded their eyes but the intensity of the white light and golden ribbons floating around the princess blinded them. Her power swept over them, destroying their aged bodies. The golden ribbons swung wildly about, slamming into each of the gemstones that had hardened and replaced their real souls, and bursting them into dust. All of their existence was destroyed. They were finally, truly, at rest.

-------

In the darkness of space, glinting teeth showed through smiling lips. The long since dead heart had fluttered to life in that stolen chest. A pale hand swept the velvet curtain away, filling the hollow with light. A long silver scepter held a pulsing ball of energy at its top. It writhed in excitement, ready for its task after a millennium of being collected and grown. She rose and went to greet her people. All of her children, thousands of youma specially bred for this one assault, had gathered before her. Their ethereal bodies swayed in anticipation.

"The ginzuishou has appeared," the soft voice announced. Metallia's black eyes swept over her minions. She was certain her army transcended that which she marched with when she possessed Beryl's body those thousand years ago. This time they would prevail and the ginzuishou would be hers. Their imprisonment was over. "The kinzuishou is gone," she continued. "The Earth is ours for the taking."

Raising her scepter, the black energy swelling with power against the starry expanse of space, the lithe body smashed it into the cold, grey dust of the Moon. A black wave spread across the wasteland and, with a chant from those gentle lips, the entire company was transported to Earth.

-------

Serenity stared at the Earth, marveling at its beautiful colors. She loved to watch the clouds slowly circle the planet. Mercury had taught her to pick out the ones that brought shade and the ones of rain. She was watching a quite large one spiral itself across the sea. It was simply beautiful. Not for the first time, she found herself longing to be there.

"Serenity," her mother chided as she came into the room. "Be careful what you wish for. The ginzuishou will only grant you one wish in a lifetime, and you don't even know how it will do it, so you must keep your desires in check." She smiled softly.

Serenity nodded, holding back the burn of sadness that welled inside of her. This small pleasure was also taken from her. She gathered her skirts and followed her mother down the hall.

There was no great fanfare when she met the monarch of the Earth. A simple handshake across the table, and the group of four were sitting and talking. Queen Serenity wanted to strengthen old ties whereas the Earth king wished nothing more than to be left alone. Their prince sat at the king's right, across from Serenity, looking as bored and useless as she. She watched his face as the two monarchs began to argue. He had nothing but a mask of indifference and almost a schooled look of attention. She could tell, though, that his mind was miles away. Whatever decisions were made that day, they were in the interest of the two monarchs. Those in line for the throne were never asked their opinion much anyway.

She held back her sigh of relief when a recess was called. Stretching her legs sounded like a good idea, so she made her way into the gardens. Nothing was in bloom as yet, but she wandered around looking for buds. Serenity was careful not to drag her pristine white dress in the soil. She missed the little tendrils of platinum hair that stretched from her ponytails and grazed the brown dirt.

The Moon princess found her way back to the open hall where they had been discussing Earth's assimilation. Her eyes caught the prince's dark clothing pressed up against the white marble columns that stood two stories high. Seeing that he looked as bored as she was, she decided to find a moment of conversation in the otherwise dull debate.

His dark blue eyes caught hers before she was within five meters of his person. She smiled pleasantly and came to stand before him. When she saw his shoulder in her line of vision she realized how much height the chair had hidden. _Where all people from Earth exceedingly tall?_

"May I?" his deep voice filled the silence between them. He was pointing at the top of her head and, having not the slightest clue what he had planned, she acquiesced. There was a slight tug of her tightly bound hair before his hand fell back into her vision. A small twig lay between his callous fingers and she blushed prettily. He smiled lazily at her unease, his eyes swinging past her to the massive amount of flora beyond. "The gardens are beautiful, though," he said softly. "No one can blame you for wanting to see them."

She smiled at him. Endymion was taken aback by her hidden radiance. Her lips had twisted into a small smile, her teeth peeked through the rosy folds of her lips as her cheeks dimpled becomingly and the lines of her forehead flattened. Most of all, her eyes sparkled with a vigor that was out-of-place in royalty. Never had he seen so much life hidden behind a smile. And without much cause, he found himself with a grin upon his face as well. Her happiness was contagious.

Serenity looked back into the room, but saw neither her mother nor his father. Since they had more time, she turned back to her companion. The normal propriety fell away from her. This man would not care about her polite, meaningless conversation and for once she was tired of speaking with it. She turned her small body and pointed at the large orb in the sky. "The Earth is quite beautiful from here," she said softly.

His eyes filled with longing, but he nodded. "Yes," he conceded. "But it is far more beautiful inside." He noted her frown, but could do nothing to cheer her up. There was no way she would ever see the Earth except from the void of space.

"Perhaps one day I will see it," she lied. Her eyes did not sparkle with anticipation, merely dulled with another dream lost to her. But he could not find it in himself to fuel that untruth. He could not raise her hopes when there were none.

"The Earth is very independent," he said softly, not wanting to be gruff but wanting to get his point across. "There is nothing for us to gain in this alliance but people lording over us. We have made it this far on our own, we will continue to thrive."

"We have always watched over you."

"If you must, then continue. But we will not join any alliance that compromises our rule." He pressed his hands to his thighs in dismay. This was not how he had wanted the conversation to go. The prince was not sure where he was going with this discussion, but it wasn't the same debate occurring behind them. He sighed. "There is little hope of you ever coming to Earth. Only merchants make that journey and even then it is still very dangerous. Your mother would never risk the life of her only child." He looked away into the garden. "All of her dreams are on your shoulders."

Serenity looked away from him, seeing the same caged expression that graced her own face. They truly understood one another. "The caged bird still sings," she said softly, more to herself then to him.

"But it is a mournful tune for it can see the world around it and knows it belongs there."

"Serenity, Endymion," Luna called them in and the heated debate continued once more.

-------

Endymion's ears rang with the hubbub around him, but the small woman continued to drag him through the lines of soldiers marching through the palace halls. With each step their chain mail grated against the plate on their chests, creating an endless screech as they rushed down the corridor. Were the situation not so dire, he would have complained.

"_Milona_," he said softly as she continued to pull him. Her golden dress, outlined in blood red, whipped around her legs as they pumped. She was smaller than he was, yet had the inner strength to bring him this far. "Mama."

"_Re lon ee taol_," she responded, her amber eyes counting the soldiers they past. "Your father needs more," she murmured.

Endymion tried his best not to think of his father standing in the courtyard of the palace surrounded by his legion. The man would stand until the enemy was dead or he could no longer breathe. His was the heart of a soldier. _Yet I am forced to hide. Am I to have no honor?_

"I want to be with my father," he yelled over the noise. He nearly fell over her when his mother stopped. She took note of the druids aligned at her left. They were a mass of golden robes and red trimmings. Here was the front his mother would command. She turned back to her son.

"Destroy our connection with the other planets," she hissed, her body tensing with the adrenaline of the mounting battle. Her amber eyes locked on his. "Get yourself away from this place, _sula_. If the Earth is destroyed only you can bring new life." He was shaking his head, not wanting to believe that Metallia's forces would wipe out their kingdom. "You are my son, Endymion. The Earth will survive as long as you do."

She pushed him hard then, sending him tumbling down the stairs that led to the teleporters. He knew without looking that she sealed the stairs with multitudes of golden walls, protecting him with the kinzuishou within her breast. He stood, ignoring the small bruises as they healed. _The Earth's child._ Only with his mother's death would he inherit the kinzuishou, the soul of the planet. It would meld with his soul and they would become one. His desires would become the desires of the Earth.

The prince lost his footing when explosions rocked the upper portions of the palace. He heard the pounding of thousands of feet as the soldiers fell out against their enemies. Though he could not see, his infant soul could feel his mother's great magic flying across the land. They were all fighting to destroy the evil that had taken over their world. Gritting his teeth, he pulled his broad sword from its sheath. He would destroy the machines and then join his family. He would not let them die alone.

Disabling the machines proved a greater task than Endymion had expected. The runes were hidden in tiny compartments and then the machine itself had to be made unusable. Above him, he could hear as the legion fell and the enemy pushed farther into the castle. Each time the clank of metal fell upon his ear he wondered if it was his father. He was driving himself insane as he fumbled for the runes. The uncertainty was eating him alive.

As the connection between Saturn and Earth collapsed, Endymion fell to the ground. His hand clenched the doorframe for support as his heart burst into golden light. He screamed as golden ribbons penetrated his chest, wrapping around his soul. _Milona_. The last of those golden ribbons caressed his shoulders in the ghost of a hug as the kinzuishou completed within him.

He worked on the final transporter. He pulled out the rune, destroying it easily, though the tears in his eyes made removing it difficult. He was just collapsing the machine when four familiar friends sauntered into the room. Jadeite's eyes flashed and he smiled maliciously. In the dim light, Endymion could see golden blood upon the sword he held. The boy whom the royal family had fostered and raised as their own had repaid them with their deaths. The prince's hand clasped the rune at his neck that would take him to the Moon.

"You will not live past your betrayal," he vowed. He called upon the energy of the rune, asking it to deliver him to its cousin. His blue eyes never left the blackened ones of the four shitennou, his brothers. It seemed his entire family and planet were dead now.

_I will not let them take you from me, Serenity._

He appeared in the library, nestled in an alcove between shelving and the cold wall. Peeking out, he saw the princess fumbling with her dress. A quick whistle and she was walking to him. She wanted to run, he could see it in her eyes, but if she alerted anyone to his presence he'd be dead before he could save her.

He sighed in relief as he buried his face in her shoulder. Her cool hands wiped away his tears as he shakily explained the peril they were in.

* * *

Also, I'll be slightly shameless and let you all know that Eli-ko (aka, Elianthos) has nominated this fic for the dotmoon UFO awards. She's been throwing my story at anyone and everyone like communist propaganda in the 40s. Seriously, it's kinda scary and touching all at the same time! ;P I'll put a link in my profile since you can't link in stories anymore. I'm not saying go vote, just letting you know it's there :P Vote for whatever story you feel like! (Mine went to Sereko's "Affair" since.. yeah... _someone _needs a kick in the productivity area ;)

See you in two weeks! Hopefully a little more tan and a lot less stressed :D


	17. Usagi and Endymion

So, after a two week break I'm back! The seminar was... taxing. The beach was wonderful :D Though, admittedly, I fell in love with downtown Greenville. I think I'll have to visit again sometime :)

Did y'all miss me while I was gone? ;P

I didn't get many reviews for those two weeks :( You guys must think this story is wrapped up. I mean, I have killed off the second main character ... but the villain hasn't even made it to the scene (You remember who the villain is, right?). Guess that changes in this chapter. Y'all thought you knew what was going to happen, eh? ;) Why make the end predictable :D

Someone asked a very interesting question: Isn't Mamoru connected with Usagi? How right you are, my dear! Mamoru is _very _connected... As you shall see :3

Enjoy and review! Next chapter is the last one! (Unless there's an epilogue)

- Lillie Bell  
(next update: 10 Nov 2007)

* * *

_Absolution:  
Usagi and Endymion_

The random attacks of the generals left Endymion with a slight limp and bruised shoulder. Nothing he couldn't fight through, but certainly they made it hard to walk. He pulled Serenity away as another senshi in an orange fuku came to the scene. They had made it rather far before black, silken ribbons burst up from the soil and encased the princess. He turned to rip them off when meter-long razor sharp fingernails forced him to jump away.

"Beryl," he growled at the former Lady. Her eyes were black with Metallia's possession. Her teal hair rose into the space around them and her blue skin shown against the destroyed Moon Palace behind her. Her red lips sneered at him, showing tiny fangs. Her fingernails were nearly half a meter long and sparkled with intent.

Endymion reached for his broad sword but the sheath was empty. With a curse, he attempted to fend off her first charge with his hands. As she neared, the kinzuishou responded to him and a great golden light lit up the night. In his hand a long, thin sword was fashioned. It was light enough to give agile swings and strong enough to slice through walls. The stone hardened and Endymion's body and weapon resonated with his soul's golden power.

Beryl simply smiled at the new toy the prince had created. She charged again, swiping at his shoulder and legs as he fended her off. His body was riddled with tiny cuts, but he pressed onward. He needed to kill her quickly. The ribbons wrapping around Serenity's body had to be suffocating her.

She charged once again and he saw an opening. He quickly bent into her attack then swept up, sending his blade through her black heart. He choked as blood filled his mouth and pain blackened his vision. He screamed to keep himself awake, knowing Serenity was still surrounded by those black ribbons. Beryl's fingertips slowly receded from his sides as her skin turned a more human pallor.

Soft brown eyes looked into his. Her hand grazed his cheek as tears pooled down her face. "My prince," her voice rasped out, "forgive me." Endymion set her body down on the cold ground as black waves poured out of her. His fingers traced the soft line of her hairline at her temple. The Lady Beryl had always been kind to him and his people. He held her as the last breath pressed from her lips. Black waves rolled along the ground, carrying moon dust with it. A revolting shudder ran down his back and he bit back a sudden wave of nausea from the evil surrounding him. _Metallia._

The man stood and spit out the blood gathering in his mouth. Golden ribbons began to fly from the sword in his hand, attempting to wrap around him and heal his wounds. With a quick jab at the air, the power returned to the blade. He could not waste his energy on himself. He had to save Serenity.

He pressed a hand to the black wrappings and a jolt of dark energy filled him. He screamed as it shook his frail body about. His teeth clenched when the fit ended and he forced both hands to grasp at that velvet fabric. His vision went black as he yanked and the dark energy coursed through his veins. He braced himself against the Moon and he pulled with all of his weight. Slowly, the ribbons gave way and loosened from her face. He fell back as the power disintegrated. Only then did he realize he had overexerted himself.

Blood pooled around him from the many wounds that had been pulled open by Metallia's dark energy. His lungs were full and he could not breathe. He fell forward as Serenity's murky blue eyes penetrated the night. He closed his eyes and he collapsed upon the cold dust. "You are safe now," he whispered.

The black ribbons fell away, but Serenity continued to be plagued by their dark thoughts. Her dress lay tattered about her, sliced by that razor sharp fabric. Blood trickled from various lacerations, but the princess missed it all. Her clouded blue eyes groped around the ground as sinful thoughts churned in her head. She was helpless to stop them or herself.

A ripple in the space a few meters away from the prone woman revealed the location of Metallia. The waves of dark energy danced gleefully as they watched the prized princess engulfed in her sinister spell. The plan had never been to take over the Moon Kingdom. The dark seductress had convinced and later possessed Beryl neither for the purpose of domination nor freedom from their ever watchful satellite. The silver-haired girl's hand wound its way around the hilt of Endymion's kinzuishou. Metallia had come to kill the princess, inflicting her innocent soul with sin for eternity, and making it possible to possess the woman. Once she possessed Serenity's body, it would be easy to obtain the ginzuishou either by killing her unsuspecting mother or by nursing the crystal shard within the princess' breast until it demanded the soul of her mother. All the power of the universe would soon be at her fingertips.

Venus never saw Serenity reach for the sword upon the ground as she had turned to find the stumbling form of her queen coming near. Queen Serenity, however, only stared at the young princess before her. What those lilac-tinted eyes saw horrified her. She came up to Venus, bent over by the pain of her kingdom dying before her. Soft hands pressed against her chest as her greatest love lined up the sword at her breast. There was only a split second to decide, but the queen's wish was already granted. There was nothing in this world more important to her than the future.

A flash of silver light split the night as the queen offered up her ginzuishou. The stone slowly seeped out of her own chest and into Serenity's breast, leaving only the shard she too had been born with. With her soul leeched out of her, she was barely a shell of the woman she had been. But, the battle was not over as she saw Metallia dive toward the dying body of Serenity that emitted a golden light as the kinzuishou wrapped around the blooming ginzuishou. The two crystals encased one soul, protecting and nurturing it for the battle that would follow it a thousand years into the future.

Venus needed no prodding from her queen and the second the slender hand was pointing into the air, she sent forth her chain. There was something that she was missing, something she could not see that was causing her princess to commit such an unforgivable crime. The leader of the senshi felt her chain jar and dark energy burned against it as she sliced something in two. The princess fell to the ground, dead, but no longer under the threat of Metallia's possession. It was only then that they saw the hand of Endymion reach out to her and knew that he had barely survived. The hand fell, though, and did not move again.

"Venus," the queen at her side wheezed out. Her life was quickly drawing to a close and there were precious things to be done. She had to send them away from this destruction. She could not let their lives end here. She called upon the power of that sliver within her, combining it with the only wish she had ever channeled into the ginzuishou. There was only one wish granted per lifetime and it was her time to use it.

"Protect her," she begged of the crystal. "The future needs Serenity."

She raised her palm to face the chest of the last standing senshi. Bright blue eyes, fatigued from the battle and dripping with a soul-shattering sadness, stared into hers that shown nearly silver. "Forgive me." A lance of white energy flew from out of her palm, impaling Sailor Venus. She dangled above the moon's surface until the lance retreated back into Serenity's hand. She didn't have time to listen for the body to collapse upon the ground. _Now there is no one left. They can all go to the future together._

She pressed her hands against her chest, gathering her soul into the tiny flake within her. Metallia's dark energy wrapped around her as she thrust her hands into the sky with that tiny glimmer of ginzuishou at her fingertips. The Moon erupted in silver light as the souls of the people, both royal and common, gathered against the backdrop of the stars. _To the future_, she commanded.

She channeled all of her energy and soul and wish into that fragment. Her body fell to the ground as she channeled the last of her life into her wish. Black ribbons wrapped around her dead body as the shard of her soul lost its brilliance.

-------

The white light winked out in the park, leaving Usagi dressed in the princess' impeccably white attire. Golden ribbons floated around her as the last of the memories of her mother and Endymion rolled across her unseeing eyes. Tears ran down her cheeks, but Usagi continued to stare, shocked by the knowledge of her past. Before she could be engulfed by emotion, the fabric of the kinzuishou wrapped around her and enveloped her in its velvet embrace, silencing her wayward thoughts. It would not allow her to blame herself for the past. Not when there was still a battle to be fought.

"Mercury," Makoto choked out, "what is going on?"

Mercury had whipped out her computer when Serenity had burst into the white light of the ginzuishou, but the golden ribbons were certainly cause for alarm when they wrapped around the body of the young girl.

Mercury had no explanation, nor the words to describe, what her analysis was telling her. Usagi was growing in everything. Longer hair, longer legs, fuller breasts, stronger muscles and a great underlying power were all noted by the tiny screen. Ami's eyes could only stare at the golden ball before her. Even Luna, perched on her shoulder, knew nothing of what was to come.

_This is your destiny,_ a soft voice in Usagi's head said. A thin cord dangled before her eyes, one with silver and gold braided together so tightly one would have to look closely to see the distinction at all. The blonde pulled at that cord, the infused power of her soul, and suddenly her vision winked back to the present.

Her legs felt cold and her knees could feel the scrape of the ground beneath her. Usagi's vision was transfixed on the long, silver tresses falling over her shoulders and pooling in her lap. Those blues eyes took in the pure white skirt, barely covering her hips in her seated position. A thin square of rainbow striped fabric sat at the front of the skirt. Two thin ribbons of white satin came from out the emblem just below her bellybutton. A large transparent disc held an eight pointed star within its grasp as tiny wings sprouted at the back of the disc. A thin line of pearls followed the bottom arc of the circle on each side.

Her white bodysuit clung to her small waistline, showing off her curvature. A white sailor collar covered her shoulders, ending in another clear disk. This one also had the yellow star and wings and pearls upon it. Yellow puffs of fabric covered her shoulders and the top of her forearms. These too had wings that grew from pearls. A white mesh cape pressed against her back. What she could not see, though she could feel the barely restrained power of it, was the blazing eight-pointed star upon her forehead. Nor could she see the heart-shaped buns upon her head or the white high heels with wings and pearls upon her delicate feet.

_The Legendary Senshi: Sailor Cosmos,_ Luna thought, her blue eyes wide with sudden understanding. _This was Serenity's and Usagi's future. The ultimate soldier._

The power flowing through the teen was incredible. She could feel everything around her with a heightened sense. The wind whispered to her and she could hear the peel of an ocean in her mindsight. Usagi was nearly convinced she could have made the world spin in the opposite direction if she had really wanted to. But that was not what was on her mind. Her grey eyes took in the fallen body before her. This power meant nothing if she could not save the life that was left within him.

_Mamo-chan. Endymion. My love._

A large, white scepter fell into her arms as she reached for her lifelong friend. She stared at it, not quite understanding its sudden presence. The length of it was nearly double her size. At its bottom end sat a perfectly curved golden ball, and at its top was a large, rounded translucent ball with another smaller pink ball atop it. Wings spread away from the first large ball. She took a moment to marvel at the craftsmanship and power obvious in the design. It was even lightweight in her hands, almost as if it were made only for her.

_Serenity_, a voice called on the wind. Usagi's ears perked to hear it once again, recognizing that intonation but not believing it. The weapon in her hands glowed momentarily before a small, translucent image of Endymion perched upon its pristine surface. He was barely taller than her upright hand, but a sight she had never expected to see again. His armor was gone, leaving only a loosely fitting blue tunic and dark pants. No sword hung at his side. It was a look she had never seen on him. The repose after a past full of fighting.

_Serenity,_ his voice called up to her as his mouth moved. It had no corporeal nature to it, only that astral characteristic afforded the dead. _Do not save him._

Her thoughts stopped faster than if she had hit a concrete wall. _Did he just say not to save his present incarnation?_ Her white eyebrows knitted together.

_He has served his purpose,_ the man went on dispassionately. His dark eyes never left hers as she stared at him in disbelief. _This is what we were made for, Serenity. You have the power to save the universe._

"But to use this power will kill you," she stated hauntingly, only now understanding the nature of her transformation. To become a senshi she had to combine their powers, the two greatest in their solar system. They would truly be invincible, but she could not stop the pain in her heart. "I don't want to be alone again," she whispered as tears pricked at her eyes.

_You will never be alone; our spirit will be with you. Let Mamoru die, Serenity. He has no further use._

"Is that all Usagi is to Serenity?" she screamed. He seemed quite surprised by her tone, but he had also never met a woman of such independent thought as the future generations had become. "Am I just a puppet? What about my life, my goals, my dreams? Do I just throw everything aside to stop the past?" Her breath hitched and her eyes widened at a sudden realization:_ just like Mamo-chan…_

They stared at one another, but Endymion had no answer for her. He stood serenely upon that alabaster rod unaware of the boiling rage about to overcome his companion. Endymion had never met Usagi before and had no idea when it was time to run for cover. In his defense, there was no vein popping out of her forehead, no seething through clenched teeth; there were only her down-turned eyebrows and small frown. Tsukino Usagi never frowned.

"You used him," she hissed. The power inside her welled and she began to glow. The ground beneath her feet shook with her anger. She caught herself before any damage occurred, but the near uncontrollability of her powers only fueled her resolve to separate their souls once again. "Did he even have a life? No wonder he was always so sad, you lorded the past over him. How can you steal the life of this man, your own chance for a future? How can you live with yourself?"

He remained silent against her attacks. Nothing could break his fortitude, not even an enraged woman with the power of the universe at her fingertips.

_Serenity,_ he wasn't trying to reason or even soothe her. He had simply said her name.

"I am not Serenity!" she shrieked and he visibly jumped. "You are not the Endymion I knew. Endymion wanted as much freedom as I did. He would have cherished the gift of a new life, not squandered it." Her eyes took in the barely alive form of Chiba Mamoru. "You killed him before he was even born."

_This isn't about him. His death is meaningless if it means yours,_ he reasoned. Even in this ghost form he could still see her stabbing that sword into her chest. He could feel as the blade ripped past her organs and blood vessels and lungs. The pain was too raw for him and he would not allow it to happen again. By giving her all of his power, all of his essence, then he guaranteed she would never die. He would protect her like this, at her side but not able to die, until the universe ceased to exist.

Usagi, however, did not care for his logic. There was no way to justify destroying Mamoru's life. No matter who Mamoru or Endymion or any of them were, it was no one's right to enslave another. Their deaths had changed them all, pulling the black veil from their eyes and allowing them to see the truth of their lives. Usagi embraced what had happened in the past and wanted to work to stop it; Endymion was no different. However, their means were in no way similar. _Was stopping her death worth all of this hardship for him?_

"Did you love me, Endymion?" she asked pointedly.

_There is no love greater than mine for you,_ he said softly. Somehow he felt relieved to have told her nearly a thousand years later.

"Liar," the white-haired girl snapped. Usagi turned to Mamoru before her. "His was the greatest love, Endymion." He tensed under her stare. "How can you love me when you cannot love yourself?"

_That is not the point,_ he tried to bring the talk back on course.

"There is no point." Her fingers grasped the rod, raising it to chest level. She closed her eyes, focusing as best she could on that cord once again. Endymion, sensing her trying to unravel their bond, called out to her. Her eyes opened, flashing gold and silver as she pulled apart those woven threads.

"There is much for you to learn, Endymion." They were nearly apart now, she had only to jerk her hand and their powers would fall away. She could already feel the power within her dimming and her transformation falling away in that dark night. "If you insist on my protection, Endymion, then guard me yourself." And she tugged.

The rod broke in two, the image of the prince disappearing. In her right hand she held a heavy broad sword, in her left the blooming ginzuishou. With a glance, the silver crystal winked out of existence, burying itself within her chest once more. Grabbing the hilt of the sword with two hands, she climbed to her feet. The red boots on her feet made her clumsy, but she hoisted the sword above the ground, positioning the tip right at Mamoru's chest.

_I give you life, Mamo-chan,_ she whispered to his sword; _do with it as you wish_. She plunged the kinzuishou into his chest, releasing his soul and power into its true vessel. She didn't get a second to see if returning the kinzuishou had afforded him life.

"How fortunate," a soft voice sneered as Usagi fell back onto her haunches. Though the blue trimmings and red bows of the princess' sailor suit were odd to her, Metallia simpered. Whatever greater power had come over the teen had left. Now there were no obstacles. Her army of youma writhed behind her, a black wall of evil bent on destruction. _This time, I will not fail._

The lilt of a familiar voice had Usagi's head turning and she missed the glowing, mostly healed body of Mamoru. Her blue eyes skimmed the park, falling first upon her senshi who were too shell-shocked to even acknowledge her then moving to the tall woman standing in the distance. The tall figure moved closer, coming under the lamplight, and Usagi gasped.

"Queen Serenity."

_Mama…_


	18. Absolution

Here it is! The final chapter! Dun-dun-DUH:P

So, admittedly, I had way too much fun with Metallia's character. If you thought she was mean before she opened her mouth... just wait :D She just makes me rub my hands together in insane, sadistic joy.

Also, please take note that my beta didn't go through this chapter. So, I tried to fix it the best I can. ;) If there's any strange wording (usually my biggest problem) let me know :D

Possibly of interest: There are bloopers for this story. I know it sounds odd, especially for a dramatic story and not a comedy. But they're scenes I deleted and/or what I thought to be funny commentary from my beta. We've been friends since grade school, so when she was editing this she would say some things that were really quite funny (and sometimes mean :P). That will be posted in the next week, I suppose. That might give me time to get the epilogue together and figured out. But that's a big maybe.

In other news, my fiancee brought home a baby yesterday. A 9 week old kitten. He's a hoot as he still pretty clumsy and just loves his mouse. But I can't get him to use the scratching post instead of the carpet. Luckily, he's still got kitten claws so he's not doing any damage... yet. I guess I'll have to buy him a different type (maybe carpet) and see if he'll get into that :P

But, enough of my kitty woes :P

Enjoy and review:)

- Lillie Bell  
(next update: 17 Nov 07; bloopers)

* * *

_Absolution_

Metallia smiled serenely. The pleasant quality of the queen's face was not warped by the evil which animated her long dead body. The same smile that had quelled Serenity's fears as a child looked back at her one thousand years into the future. Were it not for the black, pupil-less eyes it would have been impossible to know the form before her was not her mother.

"Mama," Usagi whispered. Somewhere inside, her heart was crying at the cruelty of fate. What bubbled to the surface, however, was shame. _Had she made her mother into this monster as well? How many lives had she destroyed in one careless act?_

"How dare you," Venus seethed. She watched as Usagi brought her arms around herself. She knew the girl was blaming herself for this injustice as well. Her fists balled at her sides as she trembled with anger. Standing tall, she stretched one gloved finger and pointed at the beloved vision of their queen. "Metallia, the inner guard of her Ladyship the Princess Serenity charges you with malice toward the kingdom. The sentence is death. How do you plead?"

The pert mouth continued to grin demurely. "Would you sentence your own queen to death, senshi?" White teeth glinted as that gentle voice cooed at the hissing leader. "Or is it I who should charge you for your inability to protect your princess?"

Venus had nothing to say; it was the truth.

"The past is over," Usagi spoke, her voice thick with tears she refused to shed. She stood to face her mother. "You threaten our future and our home." She worked her fingers in an ancient pattern unknown to her. They looped around her, one coming to rest in the crook of her upturned arm. Her fingers splayed, the index fingers pointing at Serenity and the others brought into her palm. "In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you."

A slim hand covered her mouth as the queen gave out a courtly giggle. "Serenity, do stop playing these games and hand over the ginzuishou like a good little girl."

"I am not Serenity!" Usagi screamed. _Why was it so hard for her—for them—to only be whom they were born to be?_ "I am…" Her eyes traced the strange fuku molded to her body, so much like that of her own senshi. The blonde met those empty orbs with confidence. "I am Sailor Moon. I will lay the past to rest to ensure our future."

Metallia was not impressed by the girl's show of bravado. Her arm curled up her side, tracing the curves of her hip and waist. "It's time to stop playing dress up, little girl," she hissed. Her slender arm shot out, sending black ribbons at Usagi.

Before she could shield herself, four blurs clouded her vision. There was no time to push them out of the way as those black threads tore into the senshi. The girls did not cry as the razor sharp fabric repeatedly ripped through them. Their arms and legs took the brunt of the abuse as they shielded more vital areas from the winding strips of power. As the ribbons receded, the girls got their footing, some having fallen to the ground, and solemnly nodded to one another. They all knew that another attack would kill them.

Venus snuck a glance at Artemis, who nodded. Now would be the moment of truth. Minako would soon discover if all her efforts in their past life were for nothing. The girls made a circle, concentrating their thoughts on protecting Usagi and destroying Metallia. They had all agreed that if nothing else was working they would try once again to summon the sword of legend.

Slowly the girls were wrapped in the colors of their power. Ami's icy skin melted into a thick exterior of flowing water. Lightening, spit from the clouds forming above, struck Jupiter. She relished in the slight pain they caused before harnessing them into a large electrostatic shield. Her body lit up the night with crackling energy. Ami stepped away from her, knowing full well her ability to conduct the brunette's dangerous current. Mars glowed with a red aura on the other side of Venus. The pads off her fingers touched and she was surrounded in flames that ringed her form. Venus sweated under the heat coming from Mars and Jupiter at her sides. Her mind was beyond the reaches of her body, however, and she missed as her skin turned clammy. She delved deep inside of her, clutching the yellow cord that wound around her soul. With a deep breath she grabbed it and plunged into her raw power. Her skin burned as she exploded into a small supernova. Her eyes were muted gold as she raised them to meet the nonchalant face of their former queen.

"Holy Sword of Legend," Venus spoke softly, entranced. For once, she allowed that entity of the past, the true Sailor Venus, to bubble into consciousness. She did, after all, know how this ceremony was supposed to go. Her hands reached before her, the fingers splayed and cupped as light began to form between them. "Come to my hand."

Venus thrust her hands above her, her fuku glowing like a small sun with her power. Mercury, Mars and Jupiter followed suit. Their bodies shone brightly with the colors of their planets. A long, ancient broad sword appeared in their leader's hand. The blade glowed as the girls channeled their wills into it. Water, lightening, fire, and the burning power of the stars flowed into the sword. None of them let up and the weapon drank heavily. Soon it was demanding more of them. It wanted it all, all the power they possessed, and it took it from them when they were too drained to continue to channel it themselves. This behavior did not surprise the senshi at all. They had known the cost of summoning the sword.

Ami fell first. Though she was wise, she was the weakest of them all. Her body was tired from endless nights of searching and having too little sleep. She passed out before she had even died. The water about her disappeared as she was drained of all her power. Venus barely registered the weight of the small body on her foot. The others pushed on, ignoring the desire to mourn their sister's death. What were four deaths if it meant saving the world?

Rei was next, her body falling backwards onto the hard ground, her fires long extinguished. She smiled as she fell, knowing that her sacrifice would redeem the honor that Jadeite had taken away. She had so fiercely wanted redemption that she had channeled all of her essence as quickly as possible into the blade. Finally, she would be pure again.

Makoto was last, her will and body stronger than the other two. In desperation she gave her life, hoping to prove once and for all it was Serenity she wanted to protect. She would prove Nephrite wrong. Because she had no skill at it, it took her longer to give in to the sword's insistent call. It felt strange once that power was gone. And suddenly she was devoid of anything. She had always had her strength and now she had given it all away. Her fists clenched as she fell. There was no regret in what she had done. She died before she could wonder if she had truly surpassed Nephrite's appraisal.

Venus lowered the silver blade so that the hilt was level with her breast. Her eyes flashed with the colors of her companions, the power from the sword infusing her. The power flowed back and forth between them. Her face was partially covered by the iridescent blade as she spoke the chant from the legend. "Sword of Hope, pierce the evil before us and bring an age of peace once more." The sword burst with yellow energy as she gave her life to it. With a battle cry, she charged Queen Serenity, thrusting the blade into her chest. Her arms felt little resistance as she collided with the withered bones and soft skin. Without remorse, Minako pierced the heart of Metallia, driving through to the hilt.

Queen Serenity bent over under the power of the thrust. Usagi held her breath, angry at her friends for their sacrifice while desperately hoping it was not in vain. Quickly, the queen recovered and in one motion she was standing at her full height. The sword broke into millions of pieces, flying out into the night. Usagi shielded her face again the small shards. Peaking through her fingers, she watched as the hole forged by the sword healed. Silver danced across the flesh of her mother's heart, hiding the organ from assault. The queen sneered at the senshi before her. With a swipe of her hand, Metallia sent Venus flying across the ground, pieces of the sword cutting into her as her body bounced across the earth. She slid to a stop a meter from Sailor Moon.

"I'm sorry, Usa-chan," Minako said softly as her transformation fell from her. Without the fuku, blood quickly dyed the clothes she was wearing. Her short skirt showed off the lacerations covering her legs. She was overwhelmed by the pain of her blood flowing out of her. _Have I really saved anyone by summoning the sword?_ Her mind asked. Usagi was left alone to fight Metallia, and Venus wasn't very optimistic about the outcome. _Will I ever see my friends again?_ If she had known she was going to die so young, she never would have moved to London. Tears fell from her closed eyes as she wheezed: "I had hoped we could have seen each other more often these last few years."

"Minako!" Usagi darted forward only to be stopped by the queen. Tears were dripping down her cheeks, making the senshi into blurs of color against the dark landscape.

A sneer worked its way across Serenity's face as she walked between the bodies of the senshi. "What fools," she chuckled, tapping her foot against Jupiter's side for good measure. "That sword was made of ginzuishou. It could never hurt this body."

"Is that all this is about? The ginzuishou?" Sailor Moon demanded. Her stomach turned with disgust. Once again she had caused more pain and suffering to her friends, all for the stone sitting silently within her breast.

"Why, yes, dear," she dusted her shoulder. "See, originally I had planned to use your body to touch the ginzuishou, but your mother was quite adamant about volunteering hers instead.

"Of course that doesn't mean I'm not taking yours. In fact, after that little display with Endymion I most certainly have an interest. Now, taking the kinzuishou from that boy will be no problem, but you… well, I doubt you're going to be as good about it as you were last time. And, unfortunately, I need you in mostly working condition." The youma cried at the realization they would not be tearing the small princess apart.

"So," Metallia continued, "as you can see, I'm at a bit of an impasse."

The queen sighed. Clearly, she had not expected the combined power the two held. If Sailor Moon retained even a fraction of that strength then she was about to meet with her second defeat. Granted, the death of the body meant very little so long as there was a carrier to possess. In a sense, killing the senshi had suddenly proven to be quite convenient. The girls were like a small army for her to inhabit. The tides were in her favor once again.

With a sinister grin, Metallia turned to the kneeling girl. _Let's see how tough you are, Sailor Moon._ A thick black ribbon shot out as the queen flip her arm upwards. The energy whipped across Sailor Moon's left side, sending her flying backwards for a few meters. She landed with a satisfying crunch, sliding against the rough ground. The older woman sneered and turned to the youma at her left side.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, my dears," she cooed at the shadowy figures. "Please enjoy yourselves."

It was the only cue they needed to charge the fallen body of Sailor Moon. Their lustful screams echoed in the night, striking fear into the hearts of those near.

"Artemis!" Luna yelled as the white feline ran between the youma and Sailor Moon. His fur glowed in the darkness, illuminating the dark forms of the advancing army. She watched as his strides grew longer. His midsection and legs lengthened, his face becoming wider and longer, as he ran forward. He grew to the size of a panther before his paw reached to his back. He pulled forth a sword and in an instant was on two feet, fending off the wall of youma. His body took on its human form, armor and clothing slowly forming as the light around him receded.

Luna nodded at her companion. She was quickly at Usagi's side, nudging her awake. She tried her best not to touch the festering wounds caused by that dark whip. Her cold nose pressed against Usagi's neck. She tickled the girl's ear with her whiskers. She even pawed at her temple, but the girl did not move. Luna became desperate as a glance over her shoulder told her that Artemis could not keep the youma back much longer.

---

_They gave up everything_. Usagi whispered in the recesses of her mind as she floated in unconsciousness. She wrapped her arms tightly around her knees, burying her face in her legs. _Why did they have to die? Why did the past have to be repeated?_ She let out a strangled cry._Why couldn't I do anything to help?_

_If you give up then there's nothing you can do,_ a voice whispered.

_There's nothing I can do_, Usagi responded. _I don't know how to use my powers._

_Then I suppose your friends' sacrifices mean nothing._

Usagi buried her face deeper into her arms. _There's nothing I can do._

_There's always something you can do._

_And what's that?_ Usagi asked doubtfully.

_Never give up. Or is the life your mother died to give you not worth fighting for?_

---

A clever youma tripped Artemis. The others quickly jumped upon him, attacking him with their dark power. Luna pressed her ears to her head, burying her face in Usagi's neck as his cries echoed into the night. "Usagi!!" she screamed desperately. Tears fell from her eyes as she imagined the torment her mentor must be going through. The youma were advancing upon them now, leaving her companion to be trampled. She let out a yowl as the monsters grabbed her by the neck. "Sailor Moon!" It squeezed her throat to the point she thought it would decapitate her, but still she reached for the fallen body of Sailor Moon. _Please, not again…_she thought just before she would have been crushed under that fierce grip.

Luna covered her eyes as a bright light filled the night. A rush of purifying wind decimated the youma around them. The cat landed roughly on the ground, panting from the breath lost to her. Her throat was bruised, but she wiped away the water falling from her eyes. As the light receded, she saw the form of Sailor Moon. Had she the energy, Luna would have jumped for joy. She looked back to see that the youma around Artemis, too, had been killed. A smile was on her face as she fell into oblivion. _They were saved._

Usagi's wounds had been healed by the power of the ginzuishou. She stood tall before her previous mother. The queen frowned at the girl's resilience. Metallia gathered a large ball of dark power between her hands and sent it at the teenager. She was tired of playing with Serenity's runt.

_I will not run_. It was Usagi's only thought as the attack hit her chest and her vision turned white. Silver ribbons burst around her. _I will not lose._ She grabbed those loose threads flailing about her. Crystal shards burst out from around her, removing her fuku as a pristine white dress settled upon her. Platinum strands of hair swam in the wake of her transformation. The ginzuishou glowed brightly in the scepter held in her hands.

_This was her moment to show them that she could protect them. Even if it didn't matter; even though they were dead. Maybe she didn't know how to use the ginzuishou but she would show them that this life, with its hopes and dreams, was worth protecting._

"This is where it ends," she vowed. Usagi's slender arms extended, thrusting the crystal forward as a shaft of glittering energy sailed toward Metallia, who was quick to return her own volley of black power.

"Fool, the ginzuishou will not hurt this body."

"Then why do you block?" Usagi retorted. She gathered her energy and pushed against Metallia. The evil queen answered with her own powerful burst. Black and silver met, writhing around the other, looking for a way to slip past. The power pushed against each other, neither gaining ground. They sat equally matched.

---------

It was like being born and taking that first gulping, gasping breath of oxygen when you had been breathing fluid for nine months. Feeling as though he had been plunged underneath water and had only just broken the surface, Mamoru arched forward. The sudden intake of air burned in his lungs, making him cough. He shoved a hand into his bangs, wiping away the sweat, as his blue eyes focused on the darkness around him. His muscles burned with exhaustion and new life. As his memory caught up to him, he immediately pressed his fingers to his chest.

His shirt was in tatters, large slashes winding down the front of his chest showing the tanned skin beneath. The edges were singed, burnt by Kunzite's whip. He pressed a hand to his back, remembering the searing pain and then disheartening numbness that had accompanied having his nervous system simultaneously cut and cauterized by Jadeite's fireblade. There were no punctures from Zoisite's ice shards or any residual spark from Nephrite's lightning. The only thing to remind him of the battle was the exhaustion of overexertion. _How did I live?_

A spark of light far to his right had him turning his head. His eyes widened at Usagi in some sort of sailor uniform fending off the attacks of a tall, pale woman. He saw the twins balls of white hair flailing in the wind and suddenly he knew her enemy. "Queen Serenity," he whispered in awe.

As he was walking forward, trying to get a better glimpse of the battle, he realized that he could not _feel_ Usagi. He wasn't close enough to see the sweat pouring from her or the limp way her arms hung out. He leaned against a tree as a gentle hum reached his ears. He pressed his hand to his chest in disbelief. As if bidden, the golden crystal hummed softly at him, gurgling from his attention like a child. It sang a happy melody, glad to have finally been reunited with its master. It seemed to have completely forgotten that he had been fighting against it for his entire life.

His fist closed and he watched the battle from a new perspective. Somehow, some way, Usagi had freed him. He tried to think, tried to remember a past that was not his. His blue eyes closed as he concentrated. There was _nothing_. Not even a trickle of guilt, of purpose, of pain. That black emotion that Endymion had lorded over him, the responsibility for a sin he had not committed, no longer existed. His breath flew out of his tired body.

_Endymion was gone._

Mamoru stared at the girl meters in front of him. He stood straighter as relief swept over him. He closed his eyes as a wind kicked up. _Freedom_, he realized. He was no longer tied to Endymion and his past. Sure, he could remember the man's life, but it was more like having read it out of a book. There were no emotions contained in the events he remembered. Usagi had truly liberated him Endymion's grasp.

He started walking again, mulling over what do to with himself and his newfound life. Always, since he could remember waking up in the hospital, Endymion had been with him. His past had always been there, holding the knife of guilt to his throat at every opportunity. His life had never been his until now. He could do anything now. There was nothing to hold him back.

He could be a barber or a musician. Not that he would, but that he _could_. He could apply for that internship in the US. Hell, he could go to school in the US. He didn't even have to stay in Tokyo. With widely available bus routes, he could easily find himself more affordable housing on the edges of the city. Nothing required he be near Usagi or the girls. Nothing required that he stand there, watching as Usagi took great, deep breaths, her clothes sticking to her from her sweat, and help her. He didn't have to do _anything_ at all.

His fist clenched as hordes of youma flew at Usagi. The shadowy figures engulfed her, hiding her from his view for a moment. His heart hitched but he stayed a few meters away from her. Metallia's power surged forward and Usagi barely stopped it from mowing her over. His hand clenched. He could see that she'd lost her advantage, what little of it she'd had to begin with.

He watched her struggling against Metallia. She pushed desperately at that black power that had taken the lives of her friends. He was not blind to the bodies of the senshi upon the ground. His eyes lingered upon Minako's splintered form, a few steps away from him. He frowned. Even Minako, who hated their past, had given all of herself at the expense of her life. And now Usagi was trying to destroy the being that had started their suffering.

He heard her whimper and already he was moving toward her. Vaguely, he wondered if she would hate him. His body was exhausted. Being healed and revived was taxing, though better than being dead he was sure. She needed his strength and his more mature power to sustain her. But once he started, he knew he would not stop.

As he stepped the last few centimeters and made to wrap his arm around her shoulders he realized it didn't matter if he were free of Endymion or not. It was not because of Endymion that he had rushed to save Usagi. It was not because she was Serenity, a fact that was undeniable looking at the silver hair streaking through the night. This was Mamoru's decision. Because Mamoru loved Usagi with all of his heart and his soul, he could not let her fail. Because she so wanted to save them and the world they knew, because she wanted to carve a future for them instead of leaving them in the past, he called upon that power within him. The golden crystal sprang to life, giddily filling his every pour. It did not question as he pushed it all into Usagi.

_Maybe Usagi couldn't win against the past_, he realized as the last of his energy drained into her, and finally his soul fled into hers, melding with the frail silver bead of her soul. _But Cosmos could._

And maybe because he didn't know what would happen after they defeated Metallia—if they would be reborn or be completely obliterated—maybe because his newfound freedom gave him an amazing confidence, or allowed him to not take his blessings for granted, or maybe just because he was tired of lying to her, hurting her, pretending he didn't really love her, he bent down and kissed her. It wasn't the greatest of kisses; he hadn't left enough energy to animate his body to make it romantic or steamy. It was a simple kiss. And he held his lips to hers until he had tumbled past her shoulder, his head falling across her stomach to fall at her feet.

_I believe in you_, he whispered through the kinzuishou, wrapped around and melding to her soul, making them one once again. _Release the ginzuishou, Usa. Wish for this world to be saved._

And though he died for the second time that night, it was the happiest moment in his life.

-------

They continued to weigh their powers against each other. Usagi's arms were numb and sweat poured down her face. Her legs and knees screamed for her to sit and rest but she pushed more of her soul into her attack. She would not just lay down her life. She was going to fight for it this time.

In a wave of writhing energy, more youma flew at Usagi. For a moment her concentration broke and Metallia's dark power sped towards her. She stayed it but not without great loss. They were no longer equally matched. Though, looking at Metallia's composed demeanor, they hardly ever had been. Usagi whimpered as that black power licked at her, teasing her with its negative energy.

"You can do this, Usa," the voice of her best friend encouraged her. Mamoru stood next to her. Though he was weak, he came to her aid just as all of her friends had. His devotion fueled her resolve. She reached deep inside to find the power necessary to defeat Metallia and her army.

She smiled as his strong arms wrapped around her shoulders. A large, warm hand cupped her own. His hands glowed with his golden power. She smiled as his strength filled her. He would always be her rock, holding her up against the strongest storms.

He channeled his power into her, renewing her. The fatigue fell away and she felt fresh. They combined their powers and pushed Metallia back. Queen Serenity cringed before meeting both of their energies with her own. Usagi turned to thank him when Mamoru leaned against her. She met his sorrowful gaze and realized he had given everything to her. He had given her all of his lifeforce.

"Mam—" He kissed her. Even as he fell away from her, his body and soul completely spent, his lips remained until the last moment. Then he slid down her body and crumpled at her feet.

_I believe in you_, he whispered through the link between their souls. _Release the ginzuishou, Usa. Wish for this world to be saved._

Usagi looked away from his fallen body to those of her senshi littering the ground behind her. All of her friends had died. Everything important to her had been stolen once again. Her friends and her future had all been savagely taken away. And for what? Because Metallia was greedy for the power she held?

Her scepter fell away. Usagi gripped the crystal between her palms, bringing it to her chest where the kinzuishou warmed her, and turned to the queen before her. Even now, she could only see the image of her benevolent mother. Metallia had tortured that pious soul, refusing to let her rest after everything she had done to send her daughter and court to the future. Today, she would put her mother's soul at ease. But not just her mother's, she realized. She would put them all to rest.

Her thoughts turned to the senshi. Ami had given up being a doctor and lost her high marks in school due to the recent attacks. Her mother had been too busy to even notice. There was Makoto who would never own her bakery. She ate more meals out than she cooked for herself. Cooking no longer satisfied her nerves. There was Rei, the temperamental priestess, who had had no purer dream than to be of service to her aging grandfather. Now he was without any aid or apprentice.

Minako had given up her blooming modeling career. Her decision had been so sudden she had had to live with her aunt. Her parents were still in London, wondering what possessed their daughter to suddenly leave for Tokyo. How could Usagi tell the woman who was a foster mother to her that her precious daughter was dead? She could picture their faces filled with distraught and horror. She could hear them murmuring about Minako being too young to die. All of them had been too young to die, to carry the sins of their previous lives, to be made to bear the responsibility of defeating the evil they had been unable to kill a thousand years ago. And suddenly, Usagi was terribly, terribly angry.

_Unforgivable_, her mind screamed.

She thought of Mamoru, enslaved by the past. Had he ever truly existed for himself? The minute she set him free he had given his life so that she could defeat this imposter. Would avenging him really change the fact that he was dead? But he had given her everything of himself to save her and this world. It didn't matter that it wasn't fair for them to carry the burden. Someone had to keep this world safe, she realized. And she had been chosen as its most powerful guardian. She stood straight, staring into the lifeless orbs of her mother. She would show them that their belief in her was not unfounded. She would prove herself to them.

_None of today's sacrifices will be in vain_, she vowed to the corpses circling her.

As the anger boiled within her she remembered the generals. The worst of them all, they were not even granted rest after the last battle on the Moon. Their lives should have ended then, with the death of their master, but Metallia had infused them with her energy. She had enslaved them. They didn't even have a chance at new life. Theirs was the greatest injustice of all.

_I will redeem them all._

"You cannot be forgiven." And again she pulled that dually wrapped cord within her soul, transforming in Sailor Cosmos. She put all of her essence into her attack, draining her soul and body completely. This was not suicide; this was sacrifice.

_This was her absolution._

The ginzuishou exploded in a sphere of light. Golden ribbons sailed out, holding Metallia as the sphere moved toward her. Youma were sucked in as it made its way toward the Moon Queen. She screamed as she was pulled into the purifying energy.

---

Metallia fell to her knees as white surrounded her. The skin was beginning to peel from Queen Serenity's body as Metallia searched frantically for a new host. She eyed the fallen prince with lust. _It will be perfect._ Her mind entertained the look on the princess' face when Endymion killed her.

_You will harass them no longer, _a strong voice rang out within her. The spectral form of Queen Serenity held tightly to the evil parasite within her body. The shard of the ginzuishou, Serenity's soul, which remained in the queen had been empowered by the Holy Sword. She had only been waiting for a moment of weakness to strike. She would bury them both in the past, where they belonged. Metallia could not escape her death this time. Flesh and bone fell apart as the evil within was cleansed by the light. Slowly the sphere widened, cleansing the entire world of Metallia's evil influence.

_At a great cost, the battle had been won._

-------

"Serenity."

Usagi moaned, disturbed from her sleep. She was too tired to open her eyes to the white light around her or to even ask whose lap her head was laying in. The fabric beneath her cheek was soft. The hands on her face were cool and perfumed. _White jasmine_, she realized as she began to dose off. That voice rang out again, pulling her back to a half-conscious state.

Queen Serenity stroked her daughter's blonde hair. While she was fonder of the silver that ran in the royal family, she was glad to see Serenity had been born with more Earthly traits. The queen smiled, swallowing back her tears, as she watched Serenity sleep. Serenity had turned into a strong, dependable young woman. Her mother couldn't have been prouder.

Setsuna watched the Moon Queen caress her daughter. Sailor Pluto's stoic presence was the only thing that kept her from releasing her tears. Pluto had forgotten her family eons ago, but the pain was still recent for Setsuna. She sighed discretely, releasing the tension in her body.

"There is not much time," Pluto warned them.

The older woman nodded. Regretfully, she roused the girl in her arms. The princess had saved them all, but there was one last act to perform. The queen had given them the chance at a future, now it was Serenity's turn to have her wish granted for the present.

"What do you wish for with all your heart, Serenity?"

Usagi barely heard the question as she drifted back to sleep. _Wish?_ She thought distantly. All she could think of was the lives they had all lost because of the past.

She remembered how shy Ami had been when she first met her, not the cool, calculating Mercury. She lamented as Makoto's passion for cooking and decorating waned under the weight of her responsibility as the strong Sailor Jupiter. Rei's grandfather could barely walk and yet was forced to maintain the shrine as she read the fire, possessed by the past of Sailor Mars. Minako, her best friend, had given up her greatest dream in order to appease destiny by being the stoic leader Sailor Venus. Mamoru and the generals had never had their own lives; the decisions of their past haunted them even in the present.

_Freedom_, she thought. _I want us all to be free of the past._


	19. New Life: An Epilogue

Well, this admittedly took some time to work out. Honestly, this had been written for a while, but my beta and I were working out some finer points. For those who saw this posted on my LJ, this is a much more truncated version. It came down to having a sequel or an epilogue... and I went for an epilogue. This has no need for a sequel, though it could easily have one just as it could have a prologue that would do nothing but present a little more of the story going on with the other characters as its focus.To me, however, this one has run its course and there is not much else to tack on.

As far as future works are concerned... I haven't started writing anything new. I am toying/defining my "Case Study" story that's talked about on my profile. I think that will be the next project... however, _Absolution_ was the result of starting another project, so anything is possible :P What can I say? I get distracted easily n.n;

Much thanks goes out to everyone who has read, reviewed, tagged, and otherwise promoted this fanfic. I am truly surprised how many people enjoyed it. This is my hobby and I am glad you were all able to enjoy it as much as I do :) I hope this epilogue does not disappoint you. It's as much closure as I can give to a group of superheroes who will always be fighting evil. :P

Hopefully, see you before another year is out with a new fanfic to tantalize your mind ;)

- Lillie Bell

_This is also meant to pick up right at the end of the last chapter ("Absolution"), so I would suggest you skim the last few paragraphs since it's been so long :) I'm also going to leave this at the end of the chapter list for a little while as I'm not sure how the linking would work if I were to move the epilogue and the bloopers._

* * *

_Absolution: New Life  
An Epilogue_

White light flashed as the crystal enveloped them in its power. A queen's soul finally put to rest; an old, stoic senshi; a young, rebellious apprentice; and the hope of the future disappeared, dispersed into the worlds where they belonged. Queen Serenity bent, kissing her daughter's forehead before fading back into the crystal, her soul becoming a petal of its glimmering form. Her mother's, Usagi's grandmother's, soul had also become part of the crystal's ultimate form. For no other Serenity had the crystal been anything but a small, faceted jewel. But for the princess, the savior and protector of the universe, the crystal had blossomed into a rose when it was uncoiled from the Earth's kinzuishou.

Pluto materialized before a pair of looming doors three times her size. Billowing clouds obscured the bottom of the doors and formed the ground on which she stood. The dimension was beyond the realm of time and even though she had spent less than five minutes in the presence of the old queen and her princess, she had winked back as though she had never left.

Gentle, invisible hands pulled the covers over Usagi's slumbering form. A young kitten and older cat curled against each other at the foot of her bed, just out of reach of her toes. Pictures of a new life littered her vanity. A new collection of stuffed animals sat on the window seat. Memories of a new time settled over her as she slept off the fierce battle she had won.

Setsuna tumbled through the darkness. Her fingers danced as she reworked the threads of time. Sweat matted her brow as she bent those taut strings, trying to accomplish what the crystal had bid her to do. _Free them_, it had said, mirroring Usagi's wish. With the influence of the ginzuishou, she had taken them back in time one year before any of the senshi had awakened. The woman could feel as the crystal masked their past memories, making them obscure. She was amazed by its foresight, knowing that the senshi would eventually awaken but only giving them enough of their past memories to be guardians and still lead their own lives. She was amazed at Serenity's ability to absolve the guilt of their past. The princess had freed them as well as granting them the power they would need to protect Usagi. But this time they would protect her as friends and not out of duty.

Her vision flashed with light, blinding her as she had pulled the last string. It had felt cold and slimy, yet when she touched it her soul vibrated at its core. Her hands moved by some other power as her own destiny was redirected. The crystal had intended to free them all.

Setsuna's red eyes blinked when the light faded into a dark night. She waited for her eyes to adjust, biting down her panic. She had no idea where the crystal had dropped her, or for what purpose.

Her hand clenched and quickly relaxed when the action brought small pinpricks of pain. Opening her hand, a myriad of sparkling colors greeted her. Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the collection of crystals in her hand. They shone dimly, illuminating her pale face. She used her other finger to sift through them, looking over their different compositions. Four, she realized, were actually unpolished gems. She searched her limited knowledge of geology to remember their names and possible significance.

"Kunzite, Jadeite, Zoisite, Nephrite," she whispered in awe. As she said their names the gems began to beat with a faint light. As if summoned they floated above the others, dancing above her outstretched palm. They circled once, as if conversing with one another, before flying into the sky and dispersing high above the tree line. Setsuna watched and felt her heart wishing them well. Even though the generals had been enemies of the Moon Kingdom the crystal have forgiven them and offered them new life.

She gazed back at the cluster with a new understanding. She could now easily pick out Mercury's small, blue stone. It was in the shape of a teardrop and rolled across the base of her fingers. Mars' blood red stone was riddled with small holes, like a piece of volcanic rock. Jupiter's bright green stone was jagged and sharp. She could see the small teeth lining its edge, the barbs promising pain to any who trifled with it. Venus' orange crystal was in the shape of a heart. Its unconventional shape looked strange against the others, but that was the Minako she knew. Setsuna smiled as she traced the edge. She no longer had to feel guilty for sending the teenager to her death. A sigh of relief pressed through her lips, the cool air condensing against her hot breath.

Her hand grew warm and Setsuna looked down at the final crystal. She squinted as it began to pulse with a golden glow. She was going down the roster of people involved to find whom this one might belong to when a pair of bright lights blinded her.

Had Setsuna known that she was standing in the middle of a road that wound around a jagged mountain range she would not have spent so much time admiring her newest possessions. Instead, when a blue coupe came around the corner she stared in absolute disbelief. Its bright headlights illuminated her tall frame and sweeping green hair. For all she wanted, she could not move. Sheer panic locked her feet to the pavement.

Then the sickening screech of tires reached her ears as the light jerked away from her. The car slammed into the guard rail, easily flipping over the metal railing and tumbling down the mountainside. She watched in horror as the headlights lit up the trees in an eerie, circling glow.

She flew with a speed unattainable by normal humans. While she had not properly become the next Sailor Pluto, she was not completely powerless. With an agile leap she cleared the rail and stumbled down the slope as the vehicle rocked to a halt amongst a nest of tree limbs. The roof had crumpled in and many of the windows were broken. The night was strangely silent as the car finally came to rest.

While she had managed to reach the car in amazing time, she had not completely thought out how to stop. Her boots dug into the ground but found no purchase upon the eroded earth. She didn't have time to put her hands up before she went barreling into the fender of the car. Her chest fell over the trunk, her face slamming into the hard metal and missing the windshield by centimeters. Her shins bled from their collision with the hubcap. She shut her eyes to the pain, pulling herself up. She shook her head clear of thoughts about internal hemorrhaging, knowing the people inside had injuries far worse than her own.

The coupe swung down, throwing Setsuna back. It was tipped down, the back wheels barely holding it steady. Scrambling to her feet, she grabbed at the back door. She screamed in despair when she found it was locked. Controlling her panic she closed her eyes, balled her fist and punched the window. The glass cracked, but did not give way. Gritting her teeth, she focused. She gathered power into her fist, the ball glowing forest green, before sending it forward to shatter the window. The vehicle lurched under her strength and she had to grapple for the window frame to stay standing. She ignored the pain as she pierced her palms on the broken glass. It swayed as she unlocked and opened the door. She tried to hang from the doorframe, leaning away from the car to stabilize its balance. As she was dangling from the open door, her eyes sought out the people inside.

She barely looked at the two in the front seats. Their bloodied bodies were too much for her. Not a half of a meter in front of her, though, a small boy was slouched over the back seat. She reached for him, her fingers circling around his small arm. Throwing precaution to the wind, she pulled at him. His small body slipped down the seat before jerking to a stop. With a growl, Setsuna glared at the safety belt holding him in.

The car pitched again and he fell out of her reach. She planted her feet on the bottom of the door, hoping her weight was enough to hold the car steady for a few more seconds. Her hands found the latch and quickly grabbed at his shirt. She yanked him across the seat and into her arms. She jumped away just as the limbs of the tree gave way and, with a final groan, the car tumbled further down the mountainside.

The air shot out of her lungs as she fell onto her back. Her head slammed into the rocky ground and she saw stars. With great effort, she fought off unconsciousness. Her arms wound around the child, her fingers cradling the nape of his neck. Pulling them away, she could feel a sticky wetness covering them. Quickly, she pulled off her light sweater and pressed it to the back of his head.

A golden light engulfed him. Setsuna looked to her side where the small cluster of crystals hovered. The golden one pulsed with the boy's heartbeat. She could hear its tinkling melody, calling for its companion. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"The kinzuishou," she wheezed, her bruised ribs protesting. The crystal bounced a little, gurgling like a toddler. Then it descended into his chest, sitting above his heart before burrowing into his soul.

"Endymion." She stared at the child. This was the man who haunted her dreams. So many times had she seen visions of the future—his future. She had known of the utopia he and Serenity would create. She knew the hardships that awaited them, the enemies of darkness that would come to cut them down. She knew everything about his future, but had never even looked upon his face.

As the kinzuishou disappeared, she heard its tune change. It sang a soft lullaby, soothing the child in its embrace. Setsuna fell under its power, her eyelids falling closed even as the sound of sirens overpowered that gentle melody.

--------

Awakening from a deep sleep, Usagi blinked her eyes. Slowly, the blues focused on her bedroom. She sat up rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and took in the different wallpaper. Her eyes widened, remembering the fight with Metallia. Her small hands pressed into her body, running over her arms and legs, searching for any sign that she had been at that battle. She touched her hair, the thick length of it coiled in a braid down her back.

She pushed off her thick comforter and turned to press her feet into the soft carpet. Once standing, she could feel the weariness in her limbs. Her legs were sore and as she raised her arms to bring a picture closer they sang with stiffness. These were the only traces that she had unleashed all of her power, all of her soul to save everyone.

But Usagi wasn't thinking about that anymore or how she had somehow miraculously survived when she knew she should have died. Her fingers traced the wooden picture frame in her hands, taking in the photo of her with Mamoru and Minako. It looked to be taken in the fall as they were in coats and the leaves were just turning. They were smiling, holding her down as though about to throw her into something. A memory winked into existence and suddenly she remembered the event clearly. Though she had never lived it, for it was during those three years that Mamoru had cast her away, she almost cherished the memory. There were more pictures that elicited the same response. Memories that were not hers became hers as a new life folded over her old one, melding and becoming just as dear.

"Usagi," Luna breathed, padding into the room. She bounded up to the girl, pouncing at her. The blonde floundered to catch the kitten, pulling the enthusiastic feline up against her chest. She looked at Luna like she had three heads.

Tears were in the cat's blue eyes, but she shook them away. "You've been asleep for three days," she explained as Artemis came in and sat at Usagi's feet. He was more dignified in his excitement though his smile nearly swallowed the rest of his face. He looked rather boyish, with his tail whipping side to side in happiness. Usagi turned to Luna once again.

"Three days?" she croaked, her voice hoarse.

Luna nodded. "Ikuko-mama has been worried about you. You should go see her." And the cat jumped from Usagi's arms back onto the ground. She started toward the door, anticipating the look on the older woman's face.

"Luna," Usagi stopped her with a question on her lips. Her hands gripped onto her shirt as she began speaking. "What happened? How am I alive? How are you both here?"

"It seems time has been set backwards," Artemis supplied in his gentle voice. "It took us a little while to figure it out as well. It seems that time has gone back to before the Dark Kingdom attacks awakened the senshi. We looked in on the girls and they are all leading normal lives."

"But how?"

He looked at her poignantly. "We were hoping you could tell us that, Usagi."

She frowned, thinking back to what had happened after the battle. She remembered being tired and someone waking her. They had asked her for something. No, not her, they had asked Serenity for something. Her eyes widened in realization.

"A wish," she whispered. Her companions watched her with acute interest.

"The ginzuishou only fulfills a wish at the death of its carrier," Artemis urged her on.

"It didn't ask me. It asked Serenity." Usagi sighed, closing her eyes. She had wished them all to be free of the past. Admittedly, it was Usagi's wish not Serenity's. However, the crystal had freed her as well. Taking it as Serenity's wish the crystal had existinguished her hold on Usagi, laying the past to rest. She still had the princess' memories, but they would not lord over her heart. She knew that when the senshi were awakened and called upon it would be the same for them.

And Luna took that moment to remind her. "You are free," she whispered as though saying it would suddenly wake them all from a dream.

Usagi's hand drew into a fist and she nodded, smiling a great big smile. With a bound, she flew through the door and down the stairs. As she hit the last step, she yelled with all the joy in her heart. "Mama!"

"Usagi!" Ikuko yelled, grabbing the bouncing blonde into her arms and crushing her to her chest. Her daughter laughed at her mother's enthusiasm and wrapped her arms around her. They clung to each other, each believing they wouldn't have seen the other again.

"What's all the yelling about?" Kenji came into the kitchen, disgruntled. His eyes suddenly lost their gloom looking at the girl within his wife's embrace. "Usa!" he yelped and made tracks to them. He hauled the two women into his arms, holding them close to his joyous heart. For a moment, Usagi thought she saw the glimmer of a tear at the corner of his eye.

Usagi held them close, cherishing her family. She had never thought what her death would do to them, but now the reality was all too clear. They would have been devastated but survived. She sighed happily, glad that fate had saved them that despair.

Shingo swaggered in, took one look at the reuniting family, rolled his eyes and walked out. But Usagi caught the happiness in his eyes even as he tried to hide it. She laughed at him and his silly eight-year-old dignity, loving him for it. She would find him later, when he didn't have to hide his tears from anyone.

"Hey, now," another voice filled the room, coming from the back door. Usagi's blue eyes took in the form of Aino Minako. She wore short gym shorts, T-shirt, and had a volleyball tucked under her arm. Her other arm perched on her hip. She did her best to look indignant and angry. "How come I wasn't invited to this party?"

They all shared a laugh and opened their arms to her. Somewhere behind them, Shingo had wandered back in, hearing the voice of his crush. He sulked at the wall, watching them with muted interest. He turned to his side and said something to whoever had followed him into the room. Usagi's eyes met another pair of cobalt blues and her breath stopped short. Time and her heartbeat stopped.

_Mamo-chan._

He was goading Shingo, eliciting a smile out of the boy and then a blush. He looked back up to see Usagi's eyes staring at his. He smiled and waved at her in his nonchalant manner. "'Bout time you decided to wake up, Odango," he joked. But she could read the relief in his body.

Her eyes closed as she took in all that had been granted to her in this second life. She couldn't help the tears that started falling from her eyes as her heart filled with immense joy. She had everything now, she was complete. She was free.

"Oi," Mamoru called, seeing her tears. "You haven't been awake five minutes and you're already crying, Odango?"

She smiled and laughed and cried. He was trying to cheer her up and she was terribly happy for it. He was with her again, as if he had never left. And in this life that she had suddenly been thrown into, he hadn't. The Dark Kingdom had never existed and they had never been senshi. He didn't have the ghost of Endymion ordering him around. Here was the Mamoru that should have been. And she knew that this incarnation had her heart as well. She loved him as Endymion, as the pained and desperate Mamoru ruled by the past, and as this new Mamoru who was free to tease her.

This was her family, her greatest treasure. Somehow she had lost it along the way, but she never would again. Nothing would take her away from them again.

All of their sins had been absolved. Finally, the past was over and the present had just begun.

* * *

Once again, many thanks for your attention and adoration. 


	20. Deleted Scenes and Bloopers

Sorry for the late entry here. Last week was insane and then it was a nice long weekend so... yeah, I enjoyed it :D Here's the deleted scenes and/or bloopers (which consist of funny things my beta said to me or we made into even funnier things). Not much to say about them :) Enjoy!

It will be some time on the epilogue. Not that my seminar is over I've got two weeks to get as much wedding planning done as possible :D -.-; Jumping from one highly stressful event to another x.x Plus my beta and I haven't gotten a moment to talk to each other, so it's not edited or complete :P I would say it's about halfway. It could be fine as it stands, or I could add more to it. Just need to talk about it some more :P

Hopefully I'll also go through and fix the first chapters that don't have the separations. That might make them a little easier to read ;)

Well, enjoy the last day of vacation:)

_ - Lillie Bell _

* * *

_Bloopers/Deleted Scenes/Extras_

-----

**The Original Prologue**

_Chiba Mamoru_

There is a moment between life and imminent death attributed to an awakening of consciousness. For most, this is in the form of a person's life, by way of important features and moments, "flashing" like a picture reel before his/her eyes. Be the eyes closed or open, the culmination of one's life is there in its unadulterated glory, be it saintly or sinisterly twisted. For a child of six, very little life essence, or memory, is available for viewing. The traumatic events that cause retrospective flashing are fully viewed by these children. Where an adult will have many memories shifting between retina and cornea, a child has very few and the world and reality are truly in focus. He will only see the situation before him. A child experiences a traumatic event, having not learned of ways to shield him/herself from the harsh, bitter cold realities of life. For a child, death happens prior to life's true beginning and before memories can block those few milliseconds before the end occurs.

Yet, as a blue coupe hydroplaned through a guard rail and over a cliff, as the metal crinkled with each tumble down, as the screams ceased to echo when branches impaled the vehicle, it was not the short-lived life of Chiba Mamoru that flashed through the eyes of the six-year old boy. Focused, as they were, on the two limp, bloodied bodies before him, his blue eyes could only stare in horror as a tree limb suddenly ripped through the broken windshield and headed straight for his chest. Were he older, this moment would be opportunistic indeed for memories to surface. But the child simply stared as his innocent view of the world shattered as effectively as the windows of the car. The world had sentenced them to die, lost and forgotten upon a hillside. And as the child grew, for a moment, the world changed. A shift occurred, a stirring of something long forgotten. Something latent in him refused to die, could not give in to the hopelessness and cruelty of fate for putting them in this situation. In a moment of selfish need, he grappled for _it_; dove for the squirming, resolute thread of vivacity within him. A life of loneliness was better than none at all, and even as a child Mamoru knew he had to survive. Something in this world needed him more than any other.

He pulled upon that_something_ with all of his might. With the tree limb barely a foot from his stomach a great golden light surrounded the child. No longer was it a fight for survival or a ruthless arbor lance before his eyes, but memories. Memories wrapped in golden ribbon and filled with joy, love, and immeasurable shame. He remembered a gentle green planet, filled with power and promises to her beloved children. He felt the soft caresses of his mother and the callous palms of his father, and remembered how these caresses were cherished as he grew in age. The world was new then, before the corruption and occupation. It was a time before evil turned people against themselves, before the Dark Kingdom nurtured the hate inside his people. It was prior to the fall, prior to his parents' deaths, and his kingdom's destruction; but there was so much more.

The memories came painfully as he recalled a past one thousand years in age. A past with a silver-haired princess, and soul mate, whom he had given his life to save. A princess who had taken hers so quickly his blood was still fresh enough to warm her stomach as his sword passed through it. A sword that was as a part of him as his arm, making it possible to feel as the metal penetrated her abdomen as though it were his own body driving her to her death. He could _feel_ her blood as it pulsed against the sword, sliding down the metal surface. Crimson droplets streamed from hilt to ground as her life flowed around him, soaking cold slicing through his fingers and clothes.

He felt her organs, warm and wet, as they slowly malfunctioned. Even the slow beating of her heart was not lost to him, as close to death as he was himself. And before he could usher his last breath from his ashen lips, he felt her death from his golden sword. A sudden cold pervaded his soul as the golden light of the sword dulled, tarnished by his love's lifeblood, before disappearing completely. He welcomed the blood curdling in his throat, the drowning sensation welcomed as it distracted the connection he held to his sword and Serenity's fallen soul. Tears drifted down his face, having felt that though she held the blade he had been the one to kill her. His love had driven her to this ultimate sin; it was only fit that he felt her death as if it were by his own hand.

He remembered the woman who could not have waited until his breath stopped and his eyes were unseeing to prove the magnitude of her love for him. He had saved her life for her to live it, but the state of her kingdom could not allow such luxury. The sudden and utterly merciless invasion, caused by her association with him, left a kingdom destroyed beyond repair. Were it not for him, the moon could have fought and won, and Serenity would still be alive and her kingdom thriving. The destruction, the suicide, and the sin that defiled her soul were due to a sinister woman who wanted him and everything of his; especially Serenity. Without knowing _him_, they would have been prepared and not have fallen. The world would have been saved; the Earth rebuilt. As it was, only complete defeat existed. There was nothing from which to build, only ruins. It was over, and it was his fault. The guilt he felt with this knowledge was overwhelming. It was hard to say if in his last breath he drowned in the blood and bile churning in his throat, or the immense shame of his indiscretions.

Amber light pulled the boy from his memories. An ambulance sat high on the road and he could hear the shouts of people climbing down the cliff. Golden eyes watched the men make their way to the crumbled car before shutting slowly, overrun by emotion and disgrace. Crusted tears dried upon his cheeks as the metal crunched and shrieked. Callous arms reached in and pulled the limp body from the car. Mamoru felt none of these actions. He gently floated into unconsciousness haunted by the one epiphany left with him after his first death. It was as his body lay dying, the cold creeping in at all corners, his blood slowing to a crawl and the connection with his planet falling dormant that the older Endymion realized his greatest mistake. That error which led to Princess Serenity's cold body pressing against and constricting his lungs, and her innocent soul trapped in the sin of its last action; the grievous happening he could never allow in this lifetime: she had loved him.

Theirs was truly a forbidden love. By politics, by destiny, and by fate, their love that was so powerful it could destroy or create the universe in a mere moment was as impossible as the world spinning backwards. And nothing in the world would ever change this truth.

-------

From Interlude I: Neph & Zoi

As Zoisite built up his rage and prepared to hiss and spit, the dark-haired man caught him off guard with a serious question.

"What did you sell your soul for?"

The silence of their surroundings crept in once again. Zoisite looked away from the searching gaze penetrating him, unconsciously pulling his overcoat around him. The moon was no colder at that moment than any other, but to the man in question it had suddenly dropped ten degrees. The man closed his eyes and sighed, smiling. He sauntered up to Nephrite. Without preamble, he plastered himself against his fellow general, his white gloves tracing against the man's cheek. Nephrite managed to simply stare at his companion, a faint blush creeping into his cheeks, and he was suddenly feeling that space was no longer as cold as it was a moment ago.

Zoisite made a noise from his throat akin to a purr. He could feel the uncomfortable man's quickened breath against his forehead. He smiled coyly and stood on his toes to be level with the taller general. He wound a finger around a ruddy curl that had fallen across Nephrite's face.

"My, my," he purred. "I asked to be a woman."

Nephrite's eyes grew larger, if possible. Zoisite fought down a giggle, moving closer to Nephrite, tipping his head as though to press upon the callous lips with his own child-like ones. He playfully frowned, eyes roaming from those lips to the brown eyes before moving closer. At the last minute he turned and pressed his cheek to his companion's tan skin. His breath passed over the man's ear.

"When she said no, I simply asked to be able to play the piano."

Nephrite sighed and pushed the man off of him. Silently he reprimanded himself for believing the blond-haired general who was known for pulling stunts like that. Rather ruffled, Nephrite attempted to straighten his uniform and overcoat as a way to pass off the previous event. Zoisite stood a few meters away looking quite smug with himself. His fingertips were once more fingering the ends of his hair at his shoulder. His other hand was at his elbow, propping up the opposite hand. He chuckled at the other's primping.

Once a frown made its way onto the dark-haired man's face, he spoke. "Why a piano?"

Zoisite laughed outright. "What, will we not speak of our earlier intimacy? Nephrite, you tear out my heart with your apathy. Do you not pine for me, my love?" When the man looked less than amused, he dropped his jovial manner and was once again the stoic soldier. With a hint of passion that Nephrite had never heard the man have, he answered. "Music is the epitome of the soul, a unique expression of beauty. I could not give my soul to Endymion-sama, so I gave it to music. She was always my second love."

"And now?"

"She is my first, Metallia will be the second."

---

He sighed, turning a turbulent pair of eyes and shaky smile upon his comrade. "I shall play for you sometime. Perhaps it will ease your wounded spirit."

They both knew how cruel a joke it was. No sound carried on the desolate Moon, or throughout the expanse of space. While Zoisite could play to his heart's content, there would be no vibration accompanying the movements. Only motion and the small _tinks_ of the hammers hitting the strings. The closest reverberations of sound would be him removing and replacing his feet on the pedals. Nephrite cupped the shorter general's shoulder. He had not been the only one foolish enough to give his soul and receive nothing in return. If Zoisite could play his concertos in his mind, perhaps Nephrite could use his common sense to guide his decisions instead of the stars. They would persevere because, by now, there wasn't much else they could do.

_Was there no way to ease their __martyred__ souls?_

Beta's response: They aren't martyrs. Martyrs give their lives for a cause; they gave their souls for selfish reasons.

-------

From Usagi's Dreams:

"Save Serenity-sama!"

The ground before her blew a trail of dust as her feet carried her farther away from the battle. In a few moments, the area where she had left her friend exploded into thousands of ice crystals as tall as the crumbling palace behind them. A jarring in her heart told her of the girl's death when the sound of shattering ice rang through the air. Tears welled in her eyes as the scene faded away and she was dropped into a small clearing.

Another beta note: I'm very happy that you know big vocabulary words. Really. But the truth of the matter is there is a reason most people don't use them (i.e. the make you sound like a pretentious jerk). See that right there? I used a big word, and it made me sound even more like a jerk. There are only three reactions to seeing vocabulary words in stories: 1) What the hell does that mean? Man, I feel stupid. 2) I know that word! That means I must be smart! 3) Man, that author is a jerk putting unnecessary vocabulary into her story. Just for that, I'm going stop reading forever.

Zombie Kunzite says: "I'm going to stop reading FOREVER!"… BRAINS!!!

-------

From The Aftermath (original 1st paragraph)

No matter how long she stood under the cool water, the images of death and destruction never left her inner sight. Somehow the dream had tattooed the images to her so that she was treated to them more and more. She'd close her eyes and see Mako-chan's bloodied body, the wetness and coldness of death as it creeped out of her body and onto Usagi's dress. Another blink and she felt as skin and bone and organs shattered in the brittle cold encasing the body of the water senshi. She resolved to stop blinking, able to save herself from the horror for a time. Then her eyes, angry and bitter, teared and dried, screamed in agony. She closed them, attempting to do so quick enough to be spared. After repeated failed attempts, Usagi simply let the cold water fall upon her chest and face, coating her body, as her eyes stayed closed. She simply watched the dream recur, hoping at some point the nightmare would end. Always, she was left with those purple ribbons licking at her acquiescent body, whispering for her to commit that immortal sin. The cool spray washed away the tears she never realized she was crying, as she felt the wet leather grip within her grasp once again.

-------

From Minako & Mamoru

Minako ignored his anger. They were all powerless in this situation. She stood her ground. "Usa-chan must fight; it is her destiny as well as yours."

"Then Usa is the Hamlet of this tragedy," he spoke softly.

Beta response: No, Jenn, just no. No Hamlet ever.

Minako fought against the arm that wanted nothing more than to slap him. _Had he always been this unreasonable?_ "Do you have no hope? We will not allow the past to be rewritten. We will destroy our enemies and we will prevail. There is no room for failure." _There were no more second chances…_

---

Venus sighed. "She misses you, you know," she whispered. _How could this be destiny if so many people were hurting?_

His lips twitched down into a frown. Minako continued in a light tone, "She has adjusted to her role as the princess and the bits of Serenity's memories she has. Mako-chan has been training her to defend herself, if you can believe it. It puts poor Mako-chan in a terrible position; she's afraid that if she touches Usa she'll break her." She chuckled a bit to herself as the ghost of a smile lifted the corners of that tight mouth. Yet, the glimmer of guilt and regret showed in his aura.

"She's going to be okay," she said lamely. Venus' support could only help him so much. Only Usagi could make him the way he should have been without the memories of the earth prince lording over his present life. _Did he do anything for himself? Was it all for the past and the planet?_

"Motoki says you haven't had any luck finding the ginzuishou," he was growing tired of being the center of discussion.

Venus sighed, nodding. He noticed her biting her lip and recognized the gesture. "There's something more."

She stood, starting to pace under his scrutinizing gaze. "I think there's another way to defeat the Dark Kingdom without the ginzuishou. I remember Queen Serenity speaking with us about a sword that held a shard of ginzuishou within it. Only when the senshi and princess are united can it be summoned and used."

Minako looked away across the skyline of Tokyo. "If we are truly doomed then nothing you do now will change anything." She glanced down into the window, watching the writhing body of her sleeping friend. Murmurs floated up on the wind and tears pricked her eyes as she faced him once again. "Don't you see? She calls out for you in her sleep—not Endymion. It is you she needs, now more than ever."

Those pitiful cries were too much to stand there and listen to. In a quick motion, Venus stood and disappeared into the night. Aino Minako appeared on the balcony of her aunt's house and turned back towards the night. She knew that miles away Mamoru sat listening to those cries that escaped from beneath the pillows as Usagi clutched the picture of the three of them. Their hearts were breaking more and more each day. She could only hope that he had the strength to leave the past behind. They needed each other's support and love. All of the girls did. _This would be the greatest battle they had ever fought._

-------

From Mamoru & Usagi:

He reached for her hand, touching the soft, cold mandible. In an effort to warm it, he placed both hands around her small one. He swallowed hard, preparing to expose himself as the coward he was. "Usa," he gently spoke…

Beta response: Mandible, Jenn? Watch out, Usagi's turning into a praying mantis! Cover your head, Mamoru!

--------

A Trashed Epilogue

The soft rapping of chalk followed Haruna as she continued to draw scrawling letters across the blackboard. Turning, she closed the exercise book in front of her and looked around the room to find someone to translate the sentence. She pressed her fingers together into a spare napkin, removing the traces of chalk before fixing her suit.

The teacher frowned as she noticed Umino nearly jumping out of his chair to answer her question. She ignored his enthusiastically raised hand and moved on to the next row of students. A few looked on with slightly glazed eyes, tired from already having spent most of the day in class. Her eyes fell hopefully on a redhead in the back, but Naru had her head down, presumably jotting down some notes.

With a sigh, Haruna skipped to the next row. Her eyes found Ami's desk but frowned when the girl was turned away from the board. Haruna followed her gaze, skipping the next row, and landing upon Makoto whose head was also turned. The two of them seemed to be looking at the space between their desks. Minako, occupying the desk behind the one they were focused on seemed to notice the teacher's stare. In fact, it was her sudden jabbing at the person occupying the desk that brought Haruna's attention to Usagi's slumbering form.

With great indignation, Haruna marched down the aisle. As she neared, she could see Usagi draped over the front of her desk, a small pool of drool gathering on the surface. Gentle snores filled the air adding to the mounting frustration Haruna felt. _The third time today! And it's only Tuesday._

"Tsukino!" she yelped. Usagi jumped, nearly taking out Ami and Makoto with her flailing arms. She stared about, trying to get her bearing. Her hand came to the brooch at her chest, the faint tingling of the ginzuishou tickling her fingers. Usagi's body was in panic mode, and she nearly transformed before she recognized the disgruntled face an inch from her nose. Haruna frowned as Usagi finally managed to focus on her.

"Translate the sentence on the board, please."

Usagi looked at the curly letters. She followed the humps, dips, and the dotted peaks. Her face scrunched as she concentrated. "Let us go together?"

Haruna relaxed. "That is correct," she announced. "Please try to stay awake," she whispered before moving back up to the front of the room.

Minako let out the giggle she had been holding. Usagi felt as the girl rattled her desk. "Usa-chan," Minako chuckled, "that was a close one!"

"Really, Usagi," Makoto added. "I thought you were going to stand in the hall again!"

Usagi sunk farther into her desk, hiding from their teasing. She yawned, her hand covering her open mouth. She had been fighting youma that had not been wiped out with Metallia. Unfortunately, the youma didn't feel the need to do anything until late at night. Sleep had become a luxury.

"Are you okay, Usagi-san?" Ami asked timidly. Usagi smiled at her concern and nodded.

"Have you been talking to Mamoru late into the night?" Minako waggled her eyebrows.

"No way!" Makoto nearly jumped out of her desk at the accusation. "Usagi, I didn't know you and Mamoru were like that!"

Usagi glared at Minako who simply grinned mischievously. She sighed, turning to her left and whispering. "No, Minako just likes to joke about it. She was on the phone with us at the time."

Ami chuckled lightly at her right. She sat straight suddenly, nervously adjusting her glasses, and the rest of the girls noticed Haruna's stern gaze directed at them. Quickly their mouths clamped shut and they all sat forward in their desks. Haruna turned and began her lesson once again.

As Usagi was writing down notes, there was a soft touch at her wrist. She looked to see Ami's small hand pressing a folded piece of paper underneath her palm as Haruna's back was turned. A faint blush graced Ami's face as the blonde grabbed the letter. Usagi smiled at the other girl's behavior. In the few weeks she had befriended them, Ami had been slightly corrupted. She still studied way too much for any of their tastes, but she had slowly come out of her shell. Ami was now willing to even pass a note. The blush showed her guilt or maybe the thrill of the deed.

Usagi opened the note that a week ago Ami would have been too afraid to pass:

_Karaoke at Crown today?_

Usagi smiled and gave Ami a thumbs up.

----

"Ami-chan," Usagi sang as she bound down the stairs. They had all decided to get changed and then head to Crown. It was the opening of their new karaoke bar in the basement. Motoki seemed to have just discovered a use for the space. Ami smiled at her behind her glasses.

"Good afternoon Usagi-chan," she replied politely.

Usagi eyed the books in her friend's hand. She crossed her arms as they headed toward Crown. "Don't tell me you're going to try to study?" 

Ami ducked behind her books, looking away. "But the math test—"

"Isn't for another week." Usagi eyed Ami before quickly snatching up the bundle and sprinting away. It wasn't long before she heard Ami's sneakers pounding the pavement behind her. Sneaking a glance, she noted the smiled on Ami's face. The genius would never admit it but it was certain she liked the mild teasing from Usagi.

_Everything is as it should be_. Though none of her friends remembered the past, Usagi could not have been happier. Finally, they had a chance to a life that was their own. True, she knew eventually they would awaken and be needed, but she knew that their dreams would come first. They were no longer the senshi, her protectors, they were her friends.

A whistle bit through the air as Usagi ran across the street. Its shrill cry stopped her in her tracks. She hadn't even paid attention to the crossing sign. Ami was still back at the sidewalk.

"Usagi-chan," a low voice chastised her followed by a sigh. Usagi smiled innocently into the pained face of Kunzite. His white locks were black from his Japanese heritage but his eyes were still their translucent blue hue. His dark uniform marked him as a policeman. "Watch where you're going. I can't stand on every corner, you know."

Usagi nodded sheepishly continuing across the street.

"Got his panties in a wad again?" someone spoke at her elbow. Jadeite inspected her stolen goods. He didn't need to look across the intersection to see Ami bouncing on her heels waiting for the crossing signal. "Terrorizing Ami-chan again?"

Usagi rolled her eyes and waved him off. She looked for Rei to be with him.

"She's meeting us there." In a fluid motion he returned the books to Ami as she came over the curb. She blushed, muttering a quiet thanks.

"That's a nice skirt you're wearing," she complimented. 

Jadeite only sputtered: "Skirt?" They all looked down at the long kilt Rei had given him. "She said it was fashionable."

"About as fashionable as those roots sprouting through," Usagi pointed to the hair at his scalp. The blonde hair had grown out to reveal his naturally black hair. "What color are you aiming for next? Pink?"

The man grumbled as they continued down the sidewalk. It wasn't long before they passed a piano shop. One window showed a light-haired man bent over a child, showing him finger placements. Feeling someone watching, Zoisite turned and waved at Usagi. 

_Coming to Crowne?_ She mouthed. He nodded then turned back to the young boy.

"I can't believe he spends all day in there," Jadeite said disdainfully as they moved away. "He didn't come home until 2am last night. He said he was composing." He scoffed. "Sometimes I think he just plays to hear himself. I don't think he's writing any of it down; just playing for the sake of playing."

"Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the mat today," Nephrite commented as they entered the arcade. Jadeite pouted at the jibe.

"At least I have my dignity," he retorted looking pointedly at the mop in Nephrite's hands. 

"Really?" His eyebrows hit his forehead. "In that dress?"

Before a brawl could begin Minako stuck her head out of one of the rooms. She waved them in as the doors slip open once again.

"Makoto-san," Ami acknowledged the newcomer with a small bow.

"Yo!" she responded before they made their way into the room.

Usagi lagged behind watching the group rousting each other. Even Ami chuckled at the guy's bickering. Sure, the girls had a little different personalities now, and the generals were a handful, but this was how it should have been. This was the life they were meant to lead.

"Usagi-chan?" Motoki poked at the girl before him. She came out of her trance long enough to greet him and head to their room.

Opening the door, she saw Makoto and Jadeite trying to get Ami to sing the latest single. Most of the chairs were filled with people or bags. A long arm waved her over to the small space available on the other side of Mamoru. Climbing over bags and books, she flopped into the niche. His arm fell about her shoulders and she unconsciously snuggled closer. He laughed at the other's antics as Minako, at his other side, sprang up to help the outnumbered Ami. Mamoru squeezed her shoulder, bending down so she could hear him over the hubbub.

"Is Jadeite wearing a dress?"

She just shook her head, laughing, and he turned back to the scene before them. _Mamo-chan_. The genuine smile on his face had her heart soaring. He was finally free. He was Chiba Mamoru, heartthrob of Azabu and aspiring physician. Though they were just friends, Usagi looked forward to the day they would be together. But, for now, she was happy enough to see all of them truly alive.

_The past is over. All of our sins have been absolved._

She cheered on Ami as she timidly sang the first line of Minako's new song. Minako was before her, tapping the beat and silently singing along.

_This was their present. The future could wait till tomorrow._

_Some people think life is a dream; but Usagi knows it started with a wish._

_------- _

That's all there is! I couldn't find the other epilogue I trashed :P It was really just a paragraph or two. As you can see, this one had a bit of PGSM flavour to it and I think I'm going to steer away from that. There weren't too many PGSM elements in the story as a whole (ignoring the whole Zoi/piano :P) so it doesn't make much sense to have an epilogue basted in it. Wow, turkey lingo is sneaking in :P Anyway, so the real epilogue might go something like this... or it could be totally different ;) You'll have to wait to find out :D


End file.
